"We have nothing to hide": Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin on school shooting investigation
UVALDE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A smack in the face.
That's what the parents of Robb Elementary fourth-grader Alithia Ramirez said about the police response and investigation into the death of their daughter and 20 others.
Only 10-years-old, Alithia was one the 19 children to die in their classrooms on the last day of school two weeks ago.
Her parents, Jessica Hernandez and Ryan Ramirez buried her on Sunday. Now they want answers, accountability and changes before they can move forward.
They didn't hold back when asked what they thought of the 19 officers who stood outside the classrooms for more than an hour while their child needed help.
"It's spot on, cowards. I don't understand how they can just be outside the door hearing gunshots with kids screaming. That must tell you something in your head, 'Hey what are we doing? We need to do something.' If they were going to die, die a hero," said Ramirez.
Others have echoed Ramirez's feelings, calling Uvalde ISD Police Chief Pete Arrendondo a coward for not sending officers into the school while the gunman was still shooting.
Arrendondo has kept a low profile since that day. He was recently elected to the city council but missed the first meeting on June 7. That meeting was to extend a disaster declaration to expedite government resources for victims' families.
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin was present and finally answered questions from the media and victims' families amid the growing outrage.
"We were told one thing one day, and the next day, the narrative changed. We were told for a week that a teacher propped the door open with a rock, but at the end of the week, that story was gone, too," he said. "We want facts and the truth just like everyone else. We have to look at these families every day. My heart breaks for them every single day... every moment," he said.
Some people are starting to point fingers at the district attorney who's overseeing the investigation to start opening a line of communication with the public, especially with victims' families who will meet privately with him on June 8.
"We want to be transparent, and we will when the truth comes out. We have nothing to hide," said McLaughlin, who added that he didn't know why Arrendondo wasn't at Tuesday's meeting.
