Texas state trooper who was among the first to respond to Uvalde school massacre has been fired, official says - CNN

CNN  — 

Sgt. Juan Maldonado, a Texas authorities trooper who was among the archetypal to respond to the Uvalde wide schoolhouse shooting successful May, has been fired from the authorities Department of Public Safety, spokesperson Ericka Miller told CNN connected Friday.

The nationalist information section did not disclose the grounds for termination.

CNN has requested further details from the section regarding their termination process, including timeframe and imaginable entreaty process. CNN has besides reached retired to Maldonado for comment.

Maldonado’s ousting comes aft nationalist outcry and condemnation implicit the utmost hold successful instrumentality enforcement effect to the shooting astatine Robb Elementary, where a teenage gunman entered adjoining classrooms connected May 24 and opened fire.

The shooter killed 19 students and 2 teachers and wounded others, portion dozens of officers arriving connected country failed to instantly instrumentality down the gunman.

In aboriginal August, CNN was the archetypal to report Maldonado was seen connected assemblage camera video arriving 4 minutes and 51 seconds aft the gunman began his massacre, which became the deadliest schoolhouse shooting successful the US since 2012.

A full of 376 instrumentality enforcement officers would get connected the scene, yet it took 77 minutes from the onset of the onslaught earlier the gunman was changeable and killed by authorities, according to a Texas House investigative committee. Some 91 Department of Public Safety officers were among those connected scene.

In August, DPS Director Col. Steven McCraw announced an interior reappraisal of each DPS serviceman who responded to the shooting. Seven officers were subsequently referred to the inspector wide for further investigation. Their names were not publically released.

CNN identified 1 of the officers being investigated arsenic Capt. Joel Betancourt, who issued an bid to hold the breach of the classrooms adjacent arsenic a Border Patrol Tactical Unit was entering and stopping the gunman. As of Thursday, Betancourt remained connected progressive duty. DPS declined to remark connected Betancourt erstwhile asked by CNN Friday.

Another DPS serviceman nether scrutiny was Crimson Elizondo, who near the section and was aboriginal hired arsenic a constabulary serviceman for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. She was fired from that presumption aft CNN reported what she did and said astatine Robb Elementary connected the time of the massacre during the response.

McCraw told CNN successful September nary serviceman would get a pass, adding helium would besides instrumentality work if needed.

“I’ll beryllium the archetypal to resign, I’ll gladly resign, I’ll tender my resignation to the politician if I deliberation determination is immoderate culpability successful the Department of Public Safety. Period,” helium said.

CNN is successful a coalition of quality organizations suing the DPS for records relating to the investigations that person been withheld from the media and public.

As the fallout continues pursuing instrumentality enforcement’s botched effect to the massacre astatine Robb Elementary, families of the victims person been demanding greater accountability from officials.

The schoolhouse committee successful August fired Pete Arredondo, who was the Uvalde schoolhouse territory constabulary main astatine the clip of the shooting. State officials identified Arredondo arsenic the on-scene constabulary commander, though helium has said helium did not see himself successful charge.

At the time, DPS manager McCraw blamed Arredondo for officers’ nonaccomplishment to face the shooter, adding that the commandant was “the lone thing” that stopped officers. Local officials criticized McCraw and DPS for a lack of transparency regarding their investigation.

Further, immoderate parents besides called for the removal of Hal Harrell, who served arsenic the superintendent for the Uvalde schoolhouse district. Harrell formally retired this week.

“I americium genuinely grateful for your enactment and good wishes. My determination to discontinue has not been made lightly and was made aft overmuch supplication and discernment,” helium said successful a societal media station dated October 10. “My bosom was breached connected May 24th and I volition ever commune for each precious beingness that was tragically taken arsenic good arsenic their families.”

Harrell’s status came months aft a Texas authorities House committee that investigated the response recovered the schoolhouse did not comply with information policies. The committee’s study besides said the schoolhouse failed to adequately hole for the hazard of an equipped intruder and the communal signifier of leaving doors unlocked.

Before retiring, Harrell announced information measures, including the summation of astatine slightest 33 officers, 500 cameras arsenic good arsenic the installation of fences astir campuses.

The territory has since suspended its constabulary unit operations and placed a lieutenant and different apical schoolhouse authoritative connected permission arsenic portion of its investigation.