SANTE FE, Texas – Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice finally issued a formal apology to the Santa Fe mayor in its response to the 2018 mass shooting at Santa Fe High School.
This latest development comes a week after Mayor Brandon Noto and Mike Matranga demanded an apology for a response after they (as well as 3 state lawmakers) requested an independent investigation of the police response to the shooting that claimed 10 lives - 8 students and two teachers.
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KPRC 2 Investigates reported the DOJ responded to a request sent by Matranga, who is a retired Secret Service agent, former head of safety for Texas City ISD and now runs M6 Global Defense, which specializes in school security and safety. Matranga said he sent the request on behalf of the families.
The DOJ’s response was an answer to a request for an independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding the mass shooting. Families of those killed and survivors have long asked for an independent investigation of what led up to the shooting and an analysis of the police response.
“Not [an investigation] into the criminal actions of the individual, but into the actions of those responsible for keeping the staff and the children safe,” said Matranga. “Quite frankly, six years is long enough for these people to be suffering without any answers.”
Matranga shared with KPRC 2 the response letter he received from DOJ. The DOJ’s letter never mentions Santa Fe but reads, “you request an investigation into the Columbine shooting.”
The DOJ’s letter further instructs Matranga that if he feels a federal crime has been committed to call the FBI. There is no signature on the DOJ’s letter just “Sincerely, Correspondence Management Staff, Office of Administration.”
On Tuesday U.S. Rep. Randy Weber/(R) Tx.-Dist 14 sent a follow-up letter directly to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, demanding someone be held accountable “for this flippant response to a very serious event that ended and destroyed the lives of many.” Weber further writes the DOJ’s response “is not only disappointing but profoundly offensive to a community still recovering from the horror of that day.”
In his letter, Weber asks the DOJ to apologize to the community and issue a new response to Matranga’s request for an independent investigation by Sept. 1.
“There are lessons learned that can help the next school, the next first responders learn from this. I believe there should be a DOJ investigation for every mass school shooting because our children deserve this,” said Flo Rice, who was critically wounded during the Santa Fe mass shooting.
In a separate statement to KPRC 2, Weber said the following:
“The Justice Department’s feeble response was a shameful disservice not only to Southeast Texas but to our entire nation. I am demanding a thorough and appropriate reply to our request, and I’m making sure the top brass at Justice know what bureaucrats are saying to our people on critical matters.”
Rice said she found the DOJ’s letter “disrespectful and demeaning.” Her husband, Scot, helped Matranga craft the letter.
“It’s like the shooting everybody’s forgotten, nobody cares, it’s never mentioned,” said Scot Rice. “They just want us to shut up and go away.”
In a message dated Tuesday, August 6, the DOJ addressed Matranga and Mayor Noto by saying “Please accept our deepest sympathies for the tragedy that occurred in your community on May 18, 2018.”
The letter went on to acknowledge the error, calling its initial response to Matranga’s letter “inappropriate.”
