Austin, TX

Charges against 2 Uvalde school officers are still leaving families frustrated

Published

6 months ago

June 29, 2024

Charges against 2 Uvalde school officers are still leaving families frustrated

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Two indictments against former Uvalde, Texas, schools police officers are the first charges brought against law enforcement for the botched response that saw hundreds of officers wait more than an hour to confront an 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 fourth-grade students and two teachers at Robb Elementary.

What You Need To Know

Former Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and former Officer Adrian Gonzales were indicted on June 26 by a Uvalde County grand jury on multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment over their actions and failure to immediately confront the shooter

Several families wonder why more officers have not been charged for waiting to go into the classroom, where some victims lay dying or begging for assistance, to help bring a quicker end to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell has not said if any other officers will be charged or if the grand jury’s work is done

For some Uvalde families, who have spent the last two years demanding police accountability, the indictments brought a mix of relief and frustration. Several wonder why more officers have not been charged for waiting to go into the classroom, where some victims lay dying or begging for assistance, to help bring a quicker end to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.

Former Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and former Officer Adrian Gonzales were indicted on June 26 by a Uvalde County grand jury on multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment over their actions and failure to immediately confront the shooter. They were among the first of nearly 400 federal, state and local officers who converged on the school that day.

“I want every single person who was in the hallway charged for failure to protect the most innocent,” said Velma Duran, whose sister Irma Garcia was one of the teachers killed. “My sister put her body in front of those children to protect them, something they could have done. They had the means and the tools to do it. My sister had her body.”

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell has not said if any other officers will be charged or if the grand jury’s work is done.

Here are some things to know about the criminal investigation into the police response:

The shooting

The gunman stormed into the school on May 24, 2022, and killed his victims in two classrooms.

More than 370 officers responded but waited more than 70 minutes to confront the shooter, even as he could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle.

Terrified students inside the classrooms called 911 as agonized parents begged for intervention by officers, some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.

Scathing state and federal investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.

The charges

The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at the shooting, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and a teacher had been shot.

Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said. The grand jury said it considered his actions criminal negligence.

Gonzales was accused of abandoning his training and not confronting the shooter, even after hearing gunshots as he stood in a hallway.

All the charges are state jail felonies that carry up to two years in jail if convicted.

Arredondo said in a 2022 interview with the Texas Tribune that he tried to “eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff.” Gonzalez’s lawyer on Friday called the charges “unprecedented in the state of Texas” and said the officer believes he did not break any laws or school district policy.

The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff’s deputy in Florida who didn’t go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired, was acquitted of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims’ families and survivors is pending.

The lawsuits

The families are pursing accountability from authorities in other state and federal courts. Several have filed multiple civil lawsuits.

Two days before the two-year anniversary of the shooting, the families of 19 victims filed a $500 million lawsuit against nearly 100 state police officers who were part of the botched response. The lawsuit accuses the troopers of not following their active shooter training and not confronting the shooter. The highest ranking Department of Public Safety official named as a defendant is South Texas Regional Director Victor Escalon.

The same families also reached a $2 million settlement with the city under which city leaders promised higher standards for hiring and training local police.

On May 24, a group of families sued Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, and the maker of the video game Call of Duty over claims the companies bear responsibility for the weapons used by the teenage gunman.

They also filed another lawsuit against gun maker Daniel Defense, which made the AR-style rifle used by the gunman.

Source link

Click to comment

Austin, TX

Texas vs Clemson: Weather forecast for Saturday’s College Football Playoff game in Austin

Published

2 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

Texas vs Clemson: Weather forecast for Saturday’s College Football Playoff game in Austin

Texas’ first-round game in the College Football Playoff against Clemson Saturday afternoon is approaching.

The Longhorns missed the opportunity to secure a first-round bye after losing to Georgia in the SEC Championship game, but they still host a postseason game. To advance in the first year of the extended CFP system, Texas has to play ACC Champion, No. 12 Clemson in Austin.

The teams play 3 p.m. Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Because Texas is seeded No. 5, it hosts a first-round game. Had they been seeded lower, they could have traveled to a higher-seeded opponent to play. Luckily for Texas players (and fans) the Longhorns avoided a road game in, say, South Bend, Indiana, where it’s expected to be a high of 28 degrees.

TICKETS FOR TEXAS VS CLEMSON IN CFP

Here is the expected weather report for Texas vs Clemson on Saturday afternoon in Austin:

Texas vs Clemson weather report for CFP

There doesn’t appear to be any precipitation in the forecast for Central Texas on Saturday.

According to the National Weather Service, Saturday should be sunny with a high around 64, which is average for this time of year.

When does Texas play next?

Date: Saturday, Dec. 21.

Time: 3 p.m.

Location: Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin.

What channel is Texas’ first-round CFP game?

TV: TNT

Streaming: Max, Sling

Commentators: Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek

Sideline reporter: Taylor McGregor

Watch the first-round College Football Playoff matchup live on Max or stream on Sling, which is offering a free trial to new users. Dave Pasch and Dusty Dvoracek will call the game with Taylor McGregor on the sidelines.

Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer. See more of Cedric Golden’s work here and follow him on X.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsroom.

Source link

Austin, TX

Cedar Fever season underway in Central Texas

Published

10 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

Cedar Fever season underway in Central Texas

Cedar Fever season arrives in Central Texas

It is Cedar Fever season and many in Central Texas are starting to feel the symptoms.

AUSTIN – Cedar Fever season is in full swing across Central Texas and is expected to last through February.

Itchy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, symptoms are all too familiar for central Texans.

Dr. Ronald Cox of Greater Austin Allergy says it has noticed an uptick in patients coming in with those symptoms.

“Unfortunately, this is one of the most beautiful times in Central Texas. There’s beautiful weather outside and you can’t go outside because of the cedar,” said Dr. Cox.

Cedar allergies, otherwise known as “Cedar Fever”, are in full swing. It’s an allergic reaction to pollen from mountain cedar trees, also known as juniper trees.

“What’s unique about Cedar Fever is it actually feels like you do have a fever and wipes people out,” said Dr. Cox. “This one actually makes you feel bad.”

Dr. Cox says it’s unique to Texas because other areas don’t typically have an allergy season in the winter months.

“It’s not the cedar that’s in your backyard. The wind can carry pollens up to 300 miles. So, it’s what’s indigenous to your area and the Hill Country is just loaded with cedar,” said Dr. Cox.

While the season typically begins around Christmastime, Dr. Cox says this year it came at the start of December. He anticipates it will last until February.

According to FOX 7 Austin’s Pollen Sense Sensor, you can see a jump in the cedar level at the beginning of the month.

According to Dr. Cox, it’ll get worse before it gets better.

“Probably the latter part of December 1st and a couple of weeks of January should be a peak,” said Cox.

But there are things Texans can do to alleviate symptoms. Dr. Cox says it depends on what those look like.

“A lot of people will have itchy, runny, sneeze and if that’s your main complaint, the over-the-counter antihistamines work well for that,” Dr. Cox said.

Dr. Cox says if your main concern is itchy or watery eyes, he recommends over-the-counter eye drops.

To avoid allergy symptoms, he also recommends keeping your windows closed.

You can also track the pollen outlook for your week.

You can find more information here.

AustinWeather

Source link

Austin, TX

Clemson vs. Texas in CFP bracket: Kickoff time, date for away playoff game

Published

18 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

Clemson vs. Texas in CFP bracket: Kickoff time, date for away playoff game

CLEMSON — No. 12 seed Clemson football will face No. 5 seed Texas in the first round of the CFP.

The Tigers (10-3) will travel to Austin, Texas, to face the Longhorns (11-2) on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, TNT) at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. This will be the first matchup ever between Clemson and Texas.

The winner advances to play No. 4 seed Arizona State, the Big 12 champion, in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 1 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Here’s what time Clemson vs. Texas will start and what day it will happen:

Clemson vs. Texas in CFP game date

Clemson will face Texas on Dec. 21.

What time Clemson plays Texas in CFP

Clemson vs. Texas starts at 4 p.m. ET and will air on TNT. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Where is Clemson vs. Texas

Texas will host Clemson in Austin, Texas, at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.

Clemson vs. Texas predictions

Texas has been one of the best teams in the country despite losing in the SEC championship. Its only two losses are to Georgia, who also beat Clemson in Week 1. Backed by over 100,000 fans, the Longhorns will beat Clemson and advance to the second round of the CFP. Clemson is 0-2 against SEC teams this season too.

Clemson vs. Texas odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM:

Spread: Clemson (+11.5)
Over/under: 51.5
Moneyline: Clemson (+325), Texas (-400)

Clemson vs. Texas tickets

Tickets are only available on the secondary market and start at $101 on StubHub.

To see a full list of ticket prices, visit StubHub.

CFP schedule

First round (campus site games)

Friday, Dec. 20, 2024:

No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame (8 p.m. ET, ABC)

Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024:

No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State (noon ET, TNT)

No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas (4 p.m. ET, TNT)

No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State (8 p.m. ET, ABC)

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024: Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona)
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta), Rose Bowl Game (Rose Bowl — Pasadena, California) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (Caesars Superdome — New Orleans)

Semifinals

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025: Capital One Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium — Miami)
Friday, Jan. 10, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas)

National championship

Monday, Jan. 20, 2025: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)

What bowl games are in CFP?

The Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic are the six bowl games featured in the CFP.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

Source link