Sean Joseph
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin was in no mood this week and he let everyone know why.
Videos by Rare
The Mayor was critical of the media during a city council meeting earlier this week. He went as far a calling two outlets “chicken” after they released footage from the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.
McLaughlin said, “I want to go on the record. The way that video was released today was one of the most chicken things I’ve ever seen.”
City council member Ernest W. “Chip” King III chimed in by calling it, “chickensh*t.“
The Austin American-Statesman and ABC affiliate KVUE were the two media outlets they were calling out. They shared school surveillance video of the Uvalde shooting.
The video shows the shooter entering the school and the police response. Or as many view it, the lack of a police response.
The “chickensht” description of the release of the video didn’t sit well with some in attendance. One person responded to the city council member by asking, “What about the cops? Are they chickensht?”
McLaughlin’s issue wasn’t with the release of the video
The video show multiple responding officers standing in the hallway at Robb Elementary. Some get hand sanitizer and check their phones as the shooter is in the classroom. McLaughlin’s issue wasn’t with the release of the video itself.
The mayor did admit that the video should be seen by the public. He tried to explain that he wasn’t happy the families didn’t get to view the images before the public.
“This video needed to be released,” he said. “The families should’ve gotten to see it first.”
“There’s no reason for the families to see that. I mean, they were going to see the video. They didn’t need to see the gunman coming in and hear the gunshots. They don’t need to re-live that, they’ve been through enough.”
After the tense meeting McLaughlin released a statement
After the tense meeting McLaughlin released a statement. He expressed anger and disappointment with the video and the police response.
“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,” he said. “I share Representative Burrows’ disappointment. I 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.”
It is unbelievable that this video was posted as part of a news story. 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 involved. I continue to stand behind my statements. Full transparency and consideration for the families remains the priority as it relates to this incident.”
