In the aftermath of the tragic Uvalde school shooting that claimed the lives of 19 children and two schoolteachers, a grand jury has been impaneled in Uvalde County to evaluate the law enforcement's handling of the incident. The decision to convene the grand jury comes on the heels of a scathing report released by the U.S. Department of Justice, which criticized the delayed response by officers.

According to local reports, the grand jury, which consists of jurors yet to be named, will have the monumental task of reviewing the evidence surrounding the law enforcement's actions during the mass shooting. The process could take up to six months, as the jurors meticulously examine the details of the case.

The U.S. Department of Justice report, made public on Thursday, revealed a series of "cascading failures" on the part of the law enforcement officers, leading to a significant delay in engaging the 18-year-old gunman. NPR reported that officers waited over an hour before confronting the assailant, contributing to the severity of the tragedy.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking in Uvalde after the report's release, condemned the law enforcement response as a "failure that should not have happened," acknowledging the devastating impact it had on the victims' families.

The report highlighted a crucial error made by responding officers, who treated the situation as a barricaded-gunman event rather than recognizing it as an active shooter situation with potentially more victims at risk. The investigators concluded that the officers should have swiftly utilized resources and equipment to confront the threat directly and gain entry into classrooms.

In response to the report, some family members of the victims expressed gratitude towards the federal investigation but demanded more transparency regarding individual officers who failed to adhere to active-shooter protocols. Kimberly Rubio, the mother of 10-year-old victim Lexi, voiced her concern during a press conference, insisting that the officers involved should be publicly named, as her child and others lost their lives in the tragic incident.

The exact scope and focus of the grand jury's review remain unclear. Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell's office has yet to comment on the matter. However, Mitchell assured the public that she is mindful of her responsibilities towards the victims, their families, and the community.

Some family members of the victims have called for criminal charges to be brought against the officers present at the scene on that fateful day. Nearly 400 state and local law enforcement personnel responded to the Uvalde school shooting, and their actions will now face scrutiny as the grand jury commences their review.

The Uvalde community is hopeful that the grand jury's investigation will provide answers and accountability, as they grapple with the tragic loss of innocent lives and seek justice for the victims and their grieving families.