Speakers say the police chief must be held accountable

As the public forum began, two people were holding placards reading “Fire Pete Arendo” and “Enough is Enough”. Arredondo has been in control since the shooting. He has since refused to answer specific questions about the police response to the shooting. However, he was sworn in as a city council member a week after the shooting. On Monday, there were more questions about the answer after new images from surveillance videos in the school halls, taken and examined by the Austin American-Statesman, seem to indicate that the officers who responded had ballistic shields and rifles when they were inside. to school. In a conversation at the beginning of the siege, according to Stateman’s account, an officer says, “If there are children in there, we have to go there.” Another replied: “Whoever is responsible will determine it.” A video of the body’s camera video by police appears to show Arredondo trying to get keys to open the classroom door, although officials say they do not believe police tried to open the door, according to Stateman. .
The revelations of the last three weeks have not only left the townspeople noisy, but have also called into question whether Arredondo will be held accountable for his actions – or lack thereof – on that tragic day. “How are we going to get on with our lives here when the people who are supposed to be protecting us have disappointed our families,” Ramirez said in tears. “Do us a favor and do what you know is right and hold these people accountable for what happened.” Brett Cross, a relative of the victim Uziyah Garcia, said the board fails its residents if it continues to keep Arredondo on staff. “We failed Pete Arredondo. He failed our children, our teachers, our parents and our city, and by keeping him on your staff, you continue to disappoint us,” Cross said. Others echoed the call for responsibility. “If nothing is done by this council to ensure the safety of our children, it may be time for people who are willing to risk their lives for our children to fill your seats,” said parent Angeli Gomez.

Speakers say the school district needed better security

Some residents complained about the loose security at Robb Elementary. “Our elementary schools are built with the same idea of ​​a motel. If I could jump over a fence to get access to my students, so could an intruder,” said Gomez, who told CBS she ran in to pick up her kids during the hunt. The open gates around primary schools and the lack of sufficient indoor space – such as a gym – for students to play also bothered the community. “On the day of the shooting, there were more than 200 students – my son was one of them – playing outside during the break before the incident … visible to anyone who was driving. This is a problem,” Gomez said. Monica Saiz-Martinez, who works at Hillcrest Funeral Home across from Robb Elementary, said she called school officials several times for a door that remained open. “There were many days when I saw the gate open to the school that led to the teacher’s parking lot,” he said. “There were days when children played outside when the gate was open.” Javier Cazares, the father of the victim Jacklyn Cazares, undertook to print and present the prevention and safety measures of the Uvalde CISD. The document presents 21 elements included in the school security plan, one of which was that the district employs four officers – a leader, a detective and two officers. “Is it really enough? We know now that it is not,” Cazares said.

Injury of family members

The relatives of the victims did not hesitate to tell the officials how their slaughter marked a life. “The horrific way in which our mother was murdered and taken away from us completely broke our hearts, but it made my dad stop,” said Liliana Garcia, the daughter of teacher Irma Garcia. Her father, Joe, died of a heart attack two days after the shooting, but the family says he died of a broken heart. “I need you all to understand the magnitude of this loss that our family must endure, that the story I am telling you about my parents and the tragedy that befell them is our reality. “A horrible nightmare we will never be able to wake up from,” Garcia said. Cross said he had never been to a school board meeting because he was never in need or could not because of work. This ended on May 24. He explained how he and his wife accepted Uziyah and his sisters to raise him as their own to “remove him from a toxic, malicious condition”. “We gave him a life where he could be a kid and worry about his childhood, where his biggest concern was if he could play his video games after school,” Cross said. “From student D and F, he got his first A on May 24. He grabbed academically for the first time in his short life.” Ramirez tearfully asked officials how he should proceed after the death of his 10-year-old daughter. “How are we supposed to continue living here when the people who are supposed to protect us frustrate our families?” CNN’s Matthew J. Friedman, reporting from Uvalde, contributed to this report.