AUSTIN, Texas — The special Texas House committee investigating the Uvalde mass shooting will meet again Monday in Austin.
State lawmakers formed the committee, which has spent the last several weeks interviewing nearly 40 people, including officers at the scene, behind closed doors.
Monday’s key witness is expected to be Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco.
He agreed to appear at the hearing after the committee served him a “notice of deposition,” which warned the sheriff he could face consequences if he fails to appear on Monday.
The committee’s chairman, State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock), is requesting the release of a video from the hallway of Robb Elementary showing law enforcement’s response during the shooting.
Burrows said it would not contain audio, nor show any violence or victims.
A report released on July 7 by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, or ALERRT, said police missed several chances to stop the gunman much sooner.
“People to be held accountable,” said Velma Duran, the sister of victim Irma Garcia, during an interview with CNN following the report’s release. “We know that the shooter is dead. There's no one taking accountability. No one."
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin disputed the report, claiming no Uvalde Police Department officer saw the gunman before he entered the school.
Over the weekend, McLaughlin said he overwhelmingly supports releasing the entire 77-minute hallway video to the public.
“We agree with (Chairman Dustin) Burrows that the video is likely to bring clarity to the public, to the families of victims and survivors,” the mayor said in a statement released July 8.
The hearing starts at 9 a.m. Monday at the State Capitol.
