Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin sues DA Christina Mitchell over Robb Elementary School 'cover-up'
UVALDE, TEXAS: Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin has sued District Attorney Christina Mitchell, accusing her of repeatedly blocking the city’s investigation into last year’s shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
He has also demanded her resignation.
The latest lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, August 29 in District Court in Uvalde County, yet again requests the judge to issue a ruling compelling Mitchell to provide independent investigator Jesse Prado with information surrounding the horrible killing, per Daily Mail.
Prado is looking into how city police responded to the Robb Elementary School mass shooting.
The May 2022 shooting gathered a total of 376 law enforcement personnel from various agencies.
However, they waited for 77 minutes before storming in and killing the 18-year-old gunman, another Uvalde resident, who was locked up in two adjacent classrooms with the victims.
Following the incident, locals, state officials, and legislators condemned the police response and the secrecy surrounding internal investigations.
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin accuses Christina Mitchell of a 'cover-up'
McLaughlin accused DA Mitchell of covering up in relation to the continuing investigation into the shooting as the city reinstituted a lawsuit seeking access to law enforcement information related to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting that left 21 people dead.
Uvalde Mayor McLaughlin stated in a written statement included in a lawsuit filed on August 29 that it has "been fifteen months since this tragedy, and I feel the families and our community deserve answers."
Mitchell "has been involved in a cover-up regarding the City’s investigation into the Robb School tragedy," McLaughlin further alleged.
The lawsuit demands the handover of all pertinent records and information from all law enforcement agencies connected to the disaster.
No one from the city has access to the data because of a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement, which protects the privacy of the district attorney's criminal investigation.
Strong words from Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin as the city refiles a lawsuit against the DA. I’m speaking with McLaughlin soon about this latest decision. pic.twitter.com/oKzirqkN2C
— Leigh Waldman (@LeighWaldman) August 30, 2023
McLaughlin further added in the statement, "The city hired Mr. Jesse Prado of JPPI on July 21, 2022, approximately two months after the shooting, to investigate the shooting regarding the actions of Uvalde Police Department personnel."
"Since then, D.A. Mitchell has refused to provide the city with all the information Mr. Prado has requested, resulting in the City filing suit against her in her official capacity to obtain the necessary information for Mr. Prado to complete the City's administrative investigation," continued the statement.
"She failed, once again, to keep her word. The city had to file a suit a second time, because D.A. Mitchell continues to block the City's investigation."
"Christina Mitchell should resign immediately. Since day one, we have called for transparency from every agency that was there that day."
What did Christina Mitchell say in response?
The criminal investigation into the Robb Elementary School shooting and the police response is being led by Mitchell, who on Tuesday told the San Antonio Express-News that she is still reviewing the evidence but plans to make her case to a grand jury by the end of the year.
Mitchell informed CNN in June 2022 that she did not want any documents or tapes to be made public while an inquiry was ongoing.
"Any release of records to that incident at this time would interfere with said ongoing investigation and would impede a thorough and complete investigation," she stated in a statement at the time.
Mitchell reportedly did not respond to the recent allegations by Mayor McLaughlin.
Mayor Don McLaughlin sued DA Christina Mitchell for the second time
The district attorney is being sued by McLaughlin for the second time this week after she allegedly refused to give Prado, the city's independent investigator, access to specific material.
The initial lawsuit, which was brought in December, was voluntarily dismissed when Mitchell agreed to assist Prado in gathering evidence, according to McLaughlin.
According to the mayor's statement, DA Mitchell "continues to block the City’s investigation," which is why the City had to file a second lawsuit.
Additionally, the US Department of Justice is examining how law enforcement handled the vicious rampage.