News Outlets Write to Uvalde Mayor to Release Information Amid Investigation: The Community is ‘Crying Out’ For Answers

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Multiple news outlets wrote to Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin this week to release information about the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School, where 19 students and two teachers were killed and 17 others were wounded, amid ongoing questions about what actually transpired.

“We are a coalition of local and national media organizations that have sought to inform the public about the horrific tragedy at Robb Elementary School. We share your commitment to ensuring that all the facts about this incident come to light,” wrote the 20 companies and their subsidiaries in a June 28 letter. “We also share the concerns you recently expressed regarding the limited information that has emerged so far, and your desire to present the public with a more comprehensive portrait of the events on that day. In many ways, this is entirely within the City’s control.”

A coalition of news outlets, including @NBCNews, has written a letter to the mayor of Uvalde informing him of the city’s right to release public records during an open investigation: “as you know, the members of the Uvalde community are crying out to know what happened that day.” pic.twitter.com/xSWwtatZ5B

— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) June 30, 2022

The outlets went on to state that there are “provisions in the law” that allow McLaughlin and other Uvalde officials “to release additional information to the public.” They cited that the Texas Public Information Act “does not require City officials to await the conclusion of any state or federal investigation in order to make information public.”

“And as you know,” they continued, “the members of the Uvalde community are crying out to know what happened that day and to have complete transparency and accountability sooner rather than later.”

The letter cited other measures that do not stop information from being released to the public.

“We join you in calling for a full accounting of the tragic events at Robb Elementary. The victims and their families deserve an accurate and complete picture of what occurred that day,” concluded the letter. “We hope that this letter assists you in evaluating the needs of your community during this difficult time and prompts immediate disclosure of information requested and needed for a community to heal.”