UVALDE, Texas — In a heated news conference Sunday, the mayor of Uvalde appeared defensive as he faced questions from the media, as well as frustrated families of some victims.
Mayor Don McLaughlin got into an exchange with one relative who called for more action on school safety.
"Sir, you know as well as I do the school district elects the school board and that's who rules the independent school district, you know it and I know it," the mayor shot back.
Another angry relative questioned McLaughlin for calling the release of the school shooting videos last week "one of the most chicken things" he's ever seen. Families said city leaders should have been labeling the police response "chicken" instead.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Uvalde school shooting
“They were cowards, not chickens, cowards, jackrabbits and they were running the other way,” said a man who identified himself as the great grandfather of one of the students killed.
When asked by KHOU 11 reporter Anayeli Ruiz why three victims' fathers weren't allowed in Sunday's meeting to view the school shooting videos, McLaughlin blamed other family members.
"You are asking me something that you need to be talking to them and to the rest of the family. I have no control over that. The families made the list of who was coming to that deal. It was immediate family that was allowed there," the mayor replied.
"I am mad because I feel like they are making a mockery of me being a parent or the relationship I have with my daughter," Alfred Garza III told us on Sunday. His 10-year-old daughter Amerie Jo Garza died in Robb Elementary.
"(I want) answers to what happened to my baby and now I am not going to know what happened. I wasn’t on the list," Jesse Rodriguez, the father of Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez said after he, too, was kicked out of the meeting.
"I don't know that man's relationship with his daughter," McLaughlin later said in the news conference.
He also said "the DPS narrative has changed at least four, maybe five" times and he's "tired of the bulls—t leaks."
“Do I still think there’s a cover-up? Let me put it this way, this has been the worst professionally run investigation, I mean, I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude,” he replied. “Little bitty leaks, here and there, little bitty snippets here and there… that’s the kind of stuff that has gone on constantly.”
McLaughlin said the DPS "lied" when they said that he and others weren't cooperating in the investigation. He said the district attorney in Uvalde ordered them not to say anything.
The mayor announced Sunday that the City has placed Lt. Mariano Pargas on administrative leave and an internal investigation into police response will take place when they receive DPS's full report. Pargas was the acting chief on the day of the mass shooting.
McLaughlin said at least two Uvalde police officers have quit since the shooting and there's concern about mental health issues within the department because the officers "have to live every day with what happened in that school."
He told reporters if anyone is unhappy with his leadership, he'll be happy to step aside and hand over the keys."
“I have told my constituents in the council meeting, At any given time if they don’t think I’m fighting for them and won’t go to bat for them, they can have my resignation. Look, I get $50 a for this job. $50 a month. I get it because I love my community.”
“You think I enjoy this every day? You think I enjoy having to look at 19 families every day or talk to them and tell them? My heart’s broken for them, but I'll never feel the pain that they’re feeling.”