One Year After The Uvalde Massacre: Agony, Anger, And Few Answers

The New York Times: After Uvalde Shooting, A Cemetery Anchors Families Of Victims 
The families of the 21 people who were killed have spent the last year working their way through a wilderness of grief, anger, despair, frustration and confusion — searching, if not for peace, then at least purpose. The cemetery, where most of the victims are buried, has become an anchor for many of the families, as has the bond forged among them. The families decorate the graves and meticulously maintain the area surrounding the headstones; and together, they gather at the cemetery to celebrate birthdays and holidays. (Kalifa, 5/24)

Gun control efforts are met with pushback —

The Texas Tribune: Texas Gun Safety Bills Saw Mixed Outcomes After Uvalde Shooting 
The first legislative session since the worst school shooting in Texas history is poised to end next week without the passage of a raise-the-age law that Uvalde families have spent almost a year pushing lawmakers to pass, often with wrenching testimony about the loved ones they lost in the massacre. (Serrano, 5/23)

Axios: U.S. Lawmakers OK'd More Pro-Gun Bills Than Safety Measures Since Uvalde
More than 1,700 gun-related bills have been introduced in state legislatures since the Uvalde shooting, and 93 of them were signed into law. (Contreras and Davis, 5/23)

The New York Times: A Year After A School Shooting, Divisions Run Through Uvalde 
Neighbors who have known each other for years now find themselves unable to agree and more distant than ever before. (Sandoval and Goodman, 5/22)

Details are still emerging as the investigation continues —

AP: One Year After Uvalde Shooting, Investigation Of Police Response Continues 
A criminal investigation in Texas over the hesitant police response to the Robb Elementary School shooting is still ongoing. ... The continuing probe underlines the lasting fallout over Texas’ deadliest school shooting and how the days after the attack were marred by authorities giving inaccurate and conflicting accounts about efforts made to stop a teenage gunman armed with an AR-style rifle. (Weber, 5/22)

The Washington Post: Police Who Botched Uvalde Shooting Response Face Few Consequences 
The Post’s review of dozens of hours of body camera videos, post-shooting interviews with officers, audio from dispatch communications and law enforcement licensing records identified at least seven officers who stalled even as evidence mounted that children were still in danger. Some were the first to arrive, while others were called in for their expertise. All are still employed by the same agencies they worked for that day. One was commended for his actions that day. (Lee, Cahlan and Hernandez, 5/24)

The Texas Tribune: “He Has A Battle Rifle”: Police Feared Uvalde Gunman’s AR-15 
In previously unreleased interviews, police who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting told investigators they were cowed by the shooter’s military-style rifle. (Despart, 5/20)

NBC News: On Uvalde Shooting 1-Year Anniversary, A Family Feels Betrayed
Javier Cazares is haunted by the 30 minutes or so that passed after his 9-year-old daughter, Jacklyn, was shot and before law enforcement officers finally confronted the gunman firing an AR-15 inside Robb Elementary School. ... “My daughter, she was one of the victims who came out and went to the hospital. She did have a heartbeat,” Cazares said. “That’s where I’m really the most hurt, because they could have done things and for whatever reason, it cost my daughter her life. She could have lived. Not just her, I mean one or two other kids in her class.” (Gamba, 5/21)

Survivors struggle to cope —

CNN: Uvalde One Year On: Lexi Rubio's Mom And Dad Try To Give Her A Legacy But All They Want Is To See Her Again 
“I don’t think we want to move forward. I think when people ask me about that, you’re asking me to move further from my last memory with her. That’s uncomfortable and I don’t want to do that,” said Kim Rubio, whose daughter Lexi was killed.

The Texas Tribune: Uvalde Students Didn’t Witness Mass Shooting But Are Still Struggling
Now, things like the sound of police sirens, people yelling — just about any loud sound — can be triggers for Austin and Illiaña, who have developed post-traumatic stress disorder because of the shooting. (Garcia and L'Roy, 5/22)

The Texas Tribune: Watch A Series Of Discussions In Uvalde On Resilience, Recovery And Healing
To mark one year since this tragedy, Southwest Texas Junior College and The Texas Tribune convened discussions featuring parents who experienced loss, mental health experts, faith leaders and educators. This half-day event focused on recovery, resilience and healing. Watch the discussions, which were held Saturday at Southwest Texas Junior College’s Tate Auditorium in Uvalde. (4/26)

If you are in need of help —

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Can mass shootings be prevented? —

Mother Jones: The Uvalde Massacre Could Have Been Prevented 
Stark lessons from the disgraceful response that day will continue to emerge. Another crucial side of the Uvalde tragedy, however, remains far too obscured: the distinct possibility that an array of warning signs from the perpetrator could have led authorities to prevent the massacre. (Follman, 5/23)

Politico: These Uvalde Survivors Were Too Scared To Go Back To School. Then They Saw A TikTok
Type “white board safe room” into TikTok and it pops up right away. Multiple viral videos show an elementary school teacher in Alabama reaching for a handle nestled in the corner of the room, where two white boards touch. She pulls back with all her body weight, and the hinge in the corner pops out toward her. The whiteboards move along tracks as she pulls, expanding into an L-shaped bullet-proof safe room. (Neus, 5/23)