The mayor of Uvalde, Texas, Cody Smith, has announced his sudden resignation citing health concerns. This came just weeks after winning the 2023 election and defeating gun control advocate Kimberly Mata-Rubio in a campaign that revolved around the Robb Elementary School shooting. The tragic incident led to the loss of 19 students and two teachers and sparked widespread public outrage over a delayed police response.
In his statement, Smith expressed gratitude for the thoughts and prayers from the Uvalde community as he continues to recover from unforeseen medical issues. However, even as he prepares to step down from office, ongoing scrutiny of the city’s response to the shooting remains a pressing issue.
During the 2023 race, Smith faced criticism from Mata-Rubio whose daughter was a victim of the school shooting. The fallout from the shooting also led to the recent resignation of Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez on March 12. A city-commissioned report exonerated the local police department of any wrongdoing in their handling of the shooting but a federal investigation had a different conclusion attributing botched response to poor organization and confusing chain of command. Inadequate coordination resulted in multiple officers surrounding the school while perpetrator carried out attack inside classroom which was described as failure by federal report that could have been prevented.
Following Smith’s resignation, Mayor Pro-Tem Everardo Zamora will assume leadership until November when a new official is elected. The transition comes amidst ongoing scrutiny of Uvalde’s response to tragedy with many demanding accountability for those responsible for botched response that led to loss of life.
