The chairman of a Texas House committee investigating the Uvalde school shooting looks poised to defy Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee. Citing an ongoing investigation, Busbee has barred the release of any video footage from the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) said Tuesday he will show the video footage to the families of the victims and then release it to the public on Sunday.

The video has been edited to remove footage of the shooter opening fire and of police charging him. It shows law enforcement in the hallways of the school. This is important because there has been a whole lot of confusion about the actions of law enforcement in the school’s hallways as they responded to the horrific mass shooting. Many state lawmakers, including Governor Greg Abbott, have called for the release of videos from that day.

Burrows plans to hold a meeting with families Sunday afternoon to show them the video footage. Then, later in the day, he will release it to the public. “We feel strongly that members of the Uvalde community should have the opportunity to see the video and hear from us before they are made public,” Burrows said on Twitter.

The Committee will convene at 2 PM on Sunday in Uvalde. We will meet with members of the community first, and provide them an opportunity to see the hallway video and discuss our preliminary report. Very soon thereafter, we will release both to the public.

— Dustin Burrows (@Burrows4TX) July 12, 2022

It’s a bold move to defy the county district attorney but it’s understandable, given the passage of time that has occurred. Burrows said the public has questions not being answered and they need to see for themselves what happened and why police waited over an hour in that hallway before moving into the classroom.

“The committee can tell people all day long what we saw, but it’s very different to see it for yourself,” Burrows said Monday. “We think that’s very important, and we’ll continue to put pressure on the situation and consider all options in making sure that video gets out for the public to view.”

There have been community protests in Uvalde calling for more transparency from the investigation. They call for the release of the 77 minutes of surveillance footage from inside the school during the shooting. Monday, Governor Abbott called for the release of the video.

Gov. Greg Abbott was in Dallas Monday for a convention. He called for the footage to be made public with the understanding that images of victims are not shown.

“Let me be clear and let me be adamant. The full truth about what happened in Uvalde must be disclosed to the public, especially to the people of Uvalde and must be done quickly,” he said.

“And we think that’s very important. And we’ll continue to put pressure on the situation and consider all options to make sure that video gets out for the public to view,” added State Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock.

Burrows’ committee investigating the shooting has seen the video footage. The members may find themselves in legal jeopardy, though, as they signed a non-disclosure agreement with D.A. Busbee.

The committee has called for the video to be released but members signed a non-disclosure agreement with Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Busbee. She wants the video to remain off-limits to the general public.

It reportedly presents a damning portrayal of police inaction in the face of tragedy.

Busbee has not made any public statements since the shooting.

I hope the video is released, at least to the families of the victims, but also to the public. They have a right to know how their city, county, and school district law enforcement responded to this extreme event. It’s been since May 24 and that is far too long for loved ones to have to wait for answers. The community needs to know how they are being protected, or not. Nineteen young children and two teachers were failed by those who responded that day at Robb Elementary School.