Uvalde school hires ex-trooper who responded to massacre
A former Texas state trooper who was part of the law enforcement response now under investigation for its actions during the deadly school shooting in Uvalde has been hired by the school district as a campus police officer
Uvalde school hires ex-trooper who responded to massacre
Show all 2Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A former Texas state trooper who was part of the law enforcement response now under investigation for its actions during the deadly school shooting in Uvalde has been hired by the school district as a campus police officer.
Families gathered Thursday outside the Uvalde Independent School District’s administrative office to protest the hiring of former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Crimson Elizondo. News of her hiring was first reported Wednesday night by CNN.
“We are disgusted and angry at Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s (UCISD) decision to hire Officer Crimson Elizondo. Her hiring puts into question the credibility and thoroughness of UCISD’s HR and vetting practices,” a statement from some of the victims' families said. "And it confirms what we have been saying all along: UCISD has not and is not in the business of ensuring the safety of our children at school.”
Elizondo, who resigned from DPS following the May 24 attack at Robb Elementary School, is listed on the district’s website as a campus police officer.
The school district did not immediately return a message Thursday seeking comment and Elizondo declined to speak to CNN.
In July, a damning report cited “egregiously poor decision making” by law enforcement officers who waited more than an hour before confronting a gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers in a classroom. The campus police chief, Pete Arredondo, was fired in August.
Elizondo is heard speaking with other officers on body camera footage that was released after the attack, CNN reported. In the video, she says: “If my son had been in there, I would not have been outside. I promise you that.”
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, said Elizondo's hiring “slapped this community in the face.”
“A DPS trooper was on scene within two minutes of the shooter and failed to follow training, protocol, and the duty they were sworn to," he said. “People’s children died because DPS officials failed to do their job.”
A DPS spokesman did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Thursday.
___
For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.