The mayor of Uvalde, Texas, abruptly resigned on Monday, citing health concerns. Cody Smith’s exit comes after he won the 2023 election in a race that hinged on the Robb Elementary School shooting.
“I want to thank members of the Uvalde community for their thoughts and prayers during my ongoing recovery from unexpected medical issues I have experienced in recent weeks,” Smith said.
Smith defeated gun control advocate Kimberly Mata-Rubio in the 2023 race, who lost her daughter in the shooting. A total of 19 students and two teachers were killed in a shooting that raised mass outrage over a delayed police response.
The mayor’s resignation comes shortly after that of Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez, who abruptly stepped down on March 12. Days before, a city-commissioned report said local police was not at fault for its response to the shooting.
The local report went against a similar federal investigation, which blamed poor organization and a confusing chain of command for the botched response. Dozens of officers surrounded the school while the gunman executed students inside a classroom.
The federal report said the local response “was a failure that should not have happened.”
Families of victims were outraged at the city’s report, which at times praised the local law enforcement response.
The city’s Mayor Pro-Tem, Everardo Zamora, will step in as mayor until a new top official is elected in November, Smith said.
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