Uvalde mayor criticizes release of hallway video, calling it 'chicken' at heated City Council meeting

UVALDE, Texas — The Uvalde City Council members voted to accept the resignation letter from Councilman Pete Arredondo during a regular city council meeting Tuesday evening. 

Arredondo recently was elected to the Uvalde City Council and has been criticized by families for his role as school police chief during the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. Arredondo also wasn't present at any meetings since taking office.

Earlier Tuesday, surveillance video from the Uvalde shooting obtained by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski was published. The video shows the gunman entering the school and officers gathered in the hallway.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin called the media's release of the video "chicken (expletive)" at the Tuesday city council meeting.

"This video needed to be released, but the families should've gotten to see it first," he said.

"What about the cops? Are they chicken (expletive)?" a member of the crowd asked. "Y'all are attacking the media. Y'all should attack the cops who did nothing."

It has been 49 days since the shooting that killed 19 fourth graders and two of their teachers at Robb Elementary. Victims' families and members of the community have demonstrated in Uvalde and demanded transparency and accountability.

"Every agency that was in that hallway has to be accountable for their actions that day," McLaughlin said.

Citizens at the meeting also brought up security for the upcoming school year and their anger about the memorial crosses being removed from the plaza downtown.

One council member apologized and said he plans to bring back the crosses for the victims. 

The council also voted to hold a special election on Nov. 8 for Pete Arredondo's city council seat.

McLaughlin released the following statement Tuesday night.

"I am angry that the victim’s families and the Uvalde community’s request to watch the video first before it was made public did not happen. I share Representative Burrows’ disappointment, and believe that watching the entire video of law enforcement’s response or lack of response is also very important to understanding what happened on May 24.  Regardless, it is unbelievable that this video was posted as part of a news story with images and audio of the violence of this incident without consideration for the families involved. I continue to stand behind my statements that full transparency and consideration for the families remains the priority as it relates to this incident."