Garland Shuns Spotlight in Bid to Rebuild DOJ After Trump (1)

Merrick Garland had been attorney general for less than a week when a gunman killed eight people in the Atlanta area, six of whom were Asian women, sending a wave of terror through the Asian-American community and reigniting a national debate on gun control.

But in a break with his predecessors’ actions, the nation’s top law enforcement officer largely stayed out of public view, working behind the scenes to shape the department’s response.

The move was part of a conscious strategy to steer clear of politics and the limelight, according to interviews with Justice Department officials. Yet it also carries ...