The mayor of Uvalde, Texas, abruptly resigned on Monday, citing health concerns. Cody Smith\u2019s exit comes after he won the 2023 election in a race that hinged on the Robb Elementary School shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to thank members of the Uvalde community for their thoughts and prayers during my ongoing recovery from unexpected medical issues I have experienced in recent weeks,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smith defeated gun control advocate Kimberly Mata-Rubio in the 2023 race, who lost her daughter in the shooting. A total of 19 students and two teachers were killed in a shooting that raised mass outrage over a delayed police response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mayor\u2019s resignation comes shortly after that of Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez, who abruptly stepped down<\/u><\/a> on March 12. Days before, a city-commissioned report<\/u><\/a> said local police was not at fault for its response to the shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The local report went against a similar federal investigation<\/u><\/a>, which blamed poor organization and a confusing chain of command for the botched response. Dozens of officers surrounded the school while the gunman executed students inside a classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The federal report said the local response \u201cwas a failure that should not have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n