Homeland Democrats Request Briefing on DHS Role In Responding to Uvalde Shooting
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Homeland Security Committee Democrats, led by Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to request a committee briefing on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) role in responding to tragic mass shooting Uvalde, Texas last week and what the Department plans to do, along with its Federal, State, and local partners, to prevent future tragedies.
“While details surrounding the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary School are still emerging, it has been reported that U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) agents and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents brought this deadly incident to an end when they contravened local law enforcement’s decision not to engage and entered the classroom and killed the shooter,” the members wrote. “We commend the law enforcement personnel who responded to the shooting and acted to help save students and teachers and prevent further loss of life.”
“At the same time, this tragedy raises questions about what authorities and responsibilities DHS personnel have in such situations, what agreements are in place related to the Department’s law enforcement personnel providing support to State and local law enforcement agencies, and whether the Department intends to bolster its school security efforts beyond existing initiatives like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s School Safety and Security resources and the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center’s work on targeted school violence.”
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