Cody Smith, the mayor of Uvalde, Texas, suddenly resigned, citing undisclosed health issues.
Smith won his first mayoral election in November since the 2022 massacre at Robb Elementary School, where a teenage gunman killed 19 young students and two teachers. Smith ran on a promise to help the city recover.
He announced his resignation on Monday, effective immediately.
“I would like to thank the people of the Uvalde area for their thoughts and prayers as I recover from the unexpected medical issues I have experienced in recent weeks. After much consultation and prayer, I am the Mayor of Uvalde to focus on… “I am concerned about my health and am honored to serve the city and community I love,” Smith said in a statement obtained by Scripps News.
Mayor Pro Tem Everardo Zamora will take over the position until a new mayor is elected on November 5, later this year.
Smith's resignation came ahead of Tuesday's City Council meeting and may be related to reports of the Robb Elementary School shooting, according to reports. This comes weeks after Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez also announced his resignation, effective April 6.
Uvalde officials are under scrutiny to properly address the school massacre, including holding law enforcement and leaders accountable. A Justice Department report released in January cited numerous failures in the shooting response, including that it took officers more than an hour to speak to the gunman. But last month, another report revealing police failings was released, sparking outrage from parents and local residents.
Brett Cross, a father who lost his fourth-grader son Uziyah “Uzi” Garcia in the shooting, said the mayor's resignation was “disheartening.”
“I was a little disappointed in this. I thought Cody was on the right path to start communicating with us, and he actually worked with us to improve Uvalde and get justice and accountability.” I felt like I was going to,” Cross wrote to X.
Next month will mark two years since the Robb Elementary School shooting.
See more: Uvalde Police Chief announces resignation in April
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