Uvalde and Locked Doors: When do we lock doors, before or after the tragedy?

It seems as though the first reports about the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and locked doors held some weight in the events of May 2, 2022, and now the trial. The unlocked doors and disregarding protocol or training is a big part of the questioning of witnesses in the current trial of the former policeman.  

I am critical of responses from law enforcement. But in real time many years ago, I was critical of unlocked and wide-open doors at the schools in my community.  School staff just couldn't get the concept that wide open doors can invite trouble. They had paid no attention to the information that had come out of the Columbine High School massacre.

I think the people from my former community are just lucky that a someone did not enter, especially the perpetrator who was chased across the roof at one of the schools, during the school day. I digress.

This brief note is to get people to read about or listen to the testimony coming out of the trial. If only we can learn from the mistakes of the past.

.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPLWIl-pkIg

Lock the doors before a lock down is necessary.

Marian R. Carlino

January 2, 2026

When is a murder considered school violence? The Kohlberger's victim families think his murders are related to school violence

I pay attention to violence on school campuses because of my history as a teacher who was shut down for speaking up to prevent escalating violent disruptions in my classroom. I usually do not read about every murder trial other than some mainstream media coverage or some discussions by Monday morning quarterbacking experts or YouTube commentators.

For several years now, I have been watching some of the podcasts or videos of the lawyer who posted the link below. He is a Canadian lawyer. I found him during the early part of the pandemic. I find him credible and not an alarmist nor a showman.

This lawyer has done a review, a little over an hour long, of the civil lawsuit that has been filed against Washington State University. by the family of Kohlberger's victims. He was an employee of that University although the murders were of students at the University of Idaho. The 126-page civil lawsuit is reviewed in its entirety with commentary.

The killings fall into the school violence category, not only because they occurred to students but because the murderer, an employee of a university, was an employee of the University that is being sued.

The allegations against the University of Washington have not been heard in court. I hope the lawsuit goes to trial and is not dismissed, settled or signed off with confidentiality statements.

Per this information, the murderer had documented offenses even in high school. As you listen to the details listed in the lawsuit and the commentary, you may wonder why nothing was really done before the murders. You will learn that reports were submitted.

If you ask after listening to the review, could these murders been prevented, you may find your answer to be, "of course".

As the lawyer does state, in hindsight, one would wonder why more was not done. Per the lawsuit, the conversation was had about Kohlberger at the University of Washington. Threat assessments are an important part of college campuses. The Clery Act and FERPA allow colleges and universities to act before murders are committed.

Why didn't the University of Washington Act? You will learn in this video that the fear of civil lawsuits played a part.  Does that fear ring a bell for you?  It sure does ring a bell for me. My school district in 1998 retaliated against me for fear of lawsuits. 

Like violence, lawsuits are hidden until chaos erupts. Virginia Tech faced multiple lawsuits after the killing there in 2007. The Clery Act and FERPA were updated after the murders at Virginia Tech. 

The University of Washington may or may not have seen this lawsuit coming, but it has arrived. They may even find large fines because of The Clery Act and FERPA regulations.

Runkle of the Bailey does a good review. He does not get technical or use legalese. He has a slant but mainly reads the 126 pages with limited opinion commentary.

If prevention is worth a pound of cure, the University of Washington will most likely pay out lots of pounds whether we hear about it or not. There are 364 bullet points in the lawsuit.

Those who only follow school shootings are missing many of the violence on college campuses.

This lawsuit took me by surprise; it may take you by surprise also. 

I continued to speak up because history repeats itself. Silence allowed this perpetrator to get away with murder even though he will live the rest of his life in prison.

Families of Kohberger's Victims Sue Washington State University - Court Document Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eS0i-F0VHs&t=590s 

Marian Carlino

January 18, 2026

Uvalde Revisited January 2026

 About two weeks ago, the trial for the police officer from the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas started. Parents have testified. Teachers have testified. Law enforcement has been called in. The history of the officer's training is under discussion as I type this. Columbine High School has been referenced several times today.

The Columbine High School massacre, April 20, 1999, was a water shed event that occurred at least eight months after the Guide to Safe Schools was published in 1998. The principal in the Columbine tragedy was treated like a hero, much to my chagrin. 

Like chalk scratching on the blackboard, these trials bring back memories of my experience in March and April 1998, (a full year before Columbine became a killing field) with Uvalde being over two decades later on May 24, 2022. My story is about prevention.

The characters are different in every trial, but the scenes are the same. Failure to recognize signs, failure to respond, failure to follow safety rules. Like every school shooting, documentaries and lots of news articles have been written. Someone ends up on trial. Since many of the shooters take their own lives or are killed at the scene, trials for the actual person who does the shooting are not always possible. The trial of the shooter from the Parkland, Florida high school massacre (February 14, 2018) was interesting to say the least. The witnesses were not much different from the witnesses in this current trial of the police officer.

From the day of the tragedy on May 24, 2022, unlocked doors and uncontrolled access to the building has been in the discussion. This trial is highlighting the doors, training, standard operating procedures for school safety, drills and the response of the officers. The defendant in this trial, Adrian Gonzales, is facing 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment in relation to how he responded to the events.

The testimony on January 12, 2026, by the fourth-grade teacher, shot in the attack, addressed questions about doors and protocol. He was asked about his actions that day before, during and after the gunman entered the school.  This teacher also had to identify the students' pictures from his class who were killed and or injured. The camera never showed his face but did focus on his scarred arm. He was asked if he still taught. His last day of teaching was on May 24, 2022.

Expert testimony evidently is being treated differently from school district personnel testimony because the current witness, a law enforcement officer, called to the school, can have his face shown?  Another officer, in full uniform, is testifying on video also has his face shown.

No matter how this trial ends, nothing on May 24, 2022, can be undone. Controversy will continue to swirl. The victims are still dead.

Some of the comments in the YouTube chats thought it was terrible that the teacher and parents have to relive the day. I disagree. As hard as it is, trials do bring out facts if people are telling the truth, questions go unanswered without trials.

Is this man the only person who should stand trial for the tragedy? The jury is still out.

Pay attention. Even though school districts train for such scenarios, they hope it never happens and sadly, many will say, we never thought it could happen here. These trials remind us it can and does.

Court TV Day 5 has the testimony of the fourth-grade teacher.

LIVE: TX v. Adrian Gonzales - Day 5 | Uvalde School Massacre Trial

Today, January 13, 2026, is Day 6 of the trial.

What lessons can be learned?

Marian R. Carlino

January 13, 2026