In a recent development, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin has initiated legal proceedings against the county's district attorney, Christina Mitchell, demanding her immediate resignation.
The Republican mayor from Texas has accused Mitchell of obstructing an inquiry into the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, a horrific incident that resulted in the loss of 21 lives.
"Its been fifteen months since this tragedy, and I feel the families and our community deserve answers," McLaughlin contended in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday against Mitchell. He further alleged that Mitchell "has been involved in a cover-up regarding the Citys investigation into the Robb School tragedy," as reported by CNN.
The allegations by McLaughlin surfaced following the city's decision to engage independent investigator Jesse Prado in July 2022. Prado was tasked with probing the delayed response to the school shooting by Uvalde Police Department officials, according to KSAT News.
The shooting incident, which occurred in May 2022, saw armed police officers taking over an hour to enter classrooms where Salvador Ramos, an 18-year-old shooter, had opened fire on students and teachers. This delay was severely criticized by Steve McCraw, a leading law enforcement official in Texas, who termed it an "abject failure."
When Prado was denied access to records necessary for the investigation, McLaughlin lodged an initial lawsuit against Mitchell in December 2022. However, this lawsuit was dismissed after Mitchell pledged "to cooperate with the City and Mr. Prado in providing the specific information he advised the D.A. he needed," as explained by McLaughlin, according to KSAT.
"She failed, once again, to keep her word," the mayor added, arguing that Mitchell's lack of action led to the filing of this second lawsuit. "Christina Mitchell should resign immediately. Since day one, we have called for transparency from every agency that was there that day," McLaughlin asserted, as reported by the outlet.
Brett Cross, a bereaved parent whose child was killed in the shooting, concurred with McLaughlin. Speaking to KENS 5 News, Cross expressed that the families are unable to find closure.
"It has just been failure after failure. We still see those same officers who sat outside that school wherever we go. We see them at the grocery store, we see them at the convenience store. The same officers who stood by and did nothing," Cross lamented. He further criticized the district attorney for withholding evidence, calling it "cruel."
In June 2022, Mitchell informed CNN that she had no intentions of releasing any videos or records related to the shooting while the investigation was still underway.
"Any release of records to that incident at this time would interfere with said ongoing investigation and would impede a thorough and complete investigation," Mitchell stated at the time.
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