Retired Chiefs Among Experts Tapped for DOJ Incident Review of Uvalde Mass Shooting Response

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday additional details regarding the critical incident review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting on May 24 in Uvalde, TX.  The review will be conducted by subject matter experts, including current and retired law enforcement leaders.

The DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) will lead the critical incident review with the support of a team of federal staff and subject matter experts who have extensive experience in a variety of relevant areas, including emergency management and active shooter response, school safety, incident command and management, tactical operations, officer safety and wellness, and victim and family support.

Participating experts include:

• Chief Rick Braziel (retired), Sacramento, CA.

• Deputy Chief Gene Deisinger (retired), Virginia Tech, VA.

• Director of Public Safety Frank Fernandez (retired), Coral Gables, FL.

• Albert Guarnieri, FBI unit chief.

• Major Mark Lomax (retired), Pennsylvania State Police.

• Laura McElroy, CEO, McElroy Media Group.

• Sheriff John Mina, Orange County, FL.

• April Naturale, assistant vice president, Vibrant Emotional Health.

• Chief Kristen Ziman (retired), Aurora, IL.

The goal of the review, according to the DOJ , is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses; identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events; and provide a roadmap for community safety and engagement before, during, and after such incidents.

The assessment will examine issues including policies, training, communications, deployment and incident command, tactics, and practices as they relate to preparing for and responding to active shooter events, as well as the post-incident response. It will also include a review of survivor and victim family support and resources.