Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith has resigned, effective immediately, following the police chief’s decision to leave his position. This resignation comes weeks after an independent report defended the actions of local officers during the botched response to the May 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting that left 21 people dead.
The decision was made by Smith, who announced his resignation in a statement thanking the Uvalde community for its support during his ongoing recovery from recent “unexpected health issues.” He did not elaborate on what these health issues were.
The controversial report was authored by private investigator Jesse Prado, who was paid $97,000 for the independent investigation. Last month, Prado presented the findings of the report in a special city council meeting, prompting eruptions of anger from victims’ families and community members.
Uvalde City Council members were expected to meet Tuesday afternoon and could discuss the report in a private session. However, last week’s meeting was postponed with officials citing concerns for Smith’s health. It is unclear if he will attend this meeting or not.
Smith’s announcement follows a recent announcement by Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez that he would be stepping down effective April 6 after the city’s report found no wrongdoing by local officers who waited over an hour to confront the teen gunman armed with an AR-15-style weapon. Rodriguez had been on vacation during the deadly Robb Elementary School shooting and made no reference to it in his letter submitting his resignation last month.
