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Uvalde police chief announces he will resign in April

Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez was on vacation in Arizona the day a gunman shot and killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.
Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez
Posted at 4:17 PM, Mar 12, 2024

Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez says he will resign his position effective April 6.

Rodriguez was on vacation in Arizona the day a gunman shot and killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. 

He announced his resignation days after a city investigation found police officers who responded to the shooting made missteps but were not to blame for their delayed response.

That report prompted fresh anger and protest from the families of victims and from other city officials.

At a presentation of its findings on March 7, some families walked out midway through.

Uvalde City Council member Hector Luevano said he did not accept its findings, saying he was "embarrassed" and "insulted."

Other investigations on the state and federal level identified a delay of more than an hour before police confronted the gunman. The federal inquiry identified "cascading failures" across the law enforcement response.

Officers who responded to Uvalde shooting subpoenaed for grand jury
Rob elementary school memorial.

Officers who responded to Uvalde shooting subpoenaed for grand jury

The reports do not specify the number of officers subpoenaed or whether any are targets of the investigation.

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Five other law enforcement officers have lost their jobs following the shooting. Pete Arredondo, the former chief of school police in Uvalde, was fired three months after the shooting.

No law enforcement personnel have been criminally charged. Some have been ordered to testify before a grand jury.

Department spokesman Fernando Fernandez said Chief Rodriquez had told officers he had made the decision to resign out of consideration for the needs of his family.

Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith released a statement that read "The City of Uvalde is grateful to Chief Rodriguez for his 26 years of service to our community and we wish him the best as he pursues new career opportunities."