Uvalde shooting update: School district suspends entire police force months after deadly rampage

On October 7, 2022, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District reported that the school police force has been suspended for one month.

The drastic move comes five months after the May 24 Robb Elementary school shooting, in which 19 students and two members of staff were shot by alleged gunman Salvador Rolando Ramos.

The school police force, as well as Uvalde authorities, were criticized as the gunman reportedly carried out the attack for over an hour before being confronted by officers. In August 2022, the Uvalde school board fired former police Chief Pete Arredondo, who was identified as being one of the people responsible for the lackluster official response on the day of the massacre.

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The Uvalde authorities face backlash

As per CNN, there are currently seven DPS officers under investigation for what has been described as their failure to adequately neutralize the threat presented by the Robb elementary gunman. One of the officers was Crimson Elizondo, who reportedly refused to enter the school premises during the shooting, claiming that she was not adequately equipped. She was fired on October 6, 2022.

Two other officers, Lt. Miguel Hernandez and Ken Mueller, have been placed on administrative leave. ABC reported that Miguel Hernandez was responsible for leading the department after the shooting, while Ken Mueller was UCISD's Director of Student Services. Mueller is reportedly going to retire soon.

In an official statement, a spokesperson from the district school board said:

“The District has made the decision to suspend all activities of the Uvalde CISD Police Department for a period of time. Officers currently employed will fill other roles in the district."

The district specified that despite the mass suspensions, they had taken measures to ensure that the area was still properly secured.

The statement continued:

“The District has requested the Texas Department of Public Safety to provide additional troopers for campus and extra-curricular activities. We are confident that staff and student safety will not be compromised during this transition.”

Brett Cross, the guardian of 10-year-old Uvalde victim Uziyah Garcia, told ABC News that he was happy the school district had held the authorities responsible for their alleged failure. Cross said:

"We've gotten a little bit of accountability. So, it's a win, and we don't get very many of those."

Another parent, Kimberly Rubio, condemned the officers. Her daughter, Lexi, was killed during the attack. Rubio commented:

"They don't know how to hire people, they don't know how to vet officers. They haven't provided proper training."

The school district announced that following the attack, they wanted to hire 10 more officers.