Uvalde Families Want Texas DPS Director To Resign, But Here's Why He Won't

Families of Uvalde shooting victims are calling for the resignation of Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw — but he won't budge.

DPS' oversight board met Thursday (October 27) and several parents of children who died in the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24 spoke up about McCraw's involvement in the attack, according to NEWS4SA. Brett Cross, a father of one of the victims Uziyah Garcia, said he believes DPS failed the community.

"You have disgraced the state, your position, and the people. The office is still under your supervision. (DPS Sergeant Juan) Maldonado and (DPS Captain Joel) Bettencourt have been proven to have been culpable and with new information dropping just about weekly, we know that there will be others. Well, Steve, the time is now. If you are a man of your word, you'll resign," he said. Cross also added that McCraw "has told lies" and he is responsible for his department's actions.

As you'll recall, law enforcement is under investigation for its botched response to the shooting. McCraw initially referred to it as an "abject failure" and placed the blame on local police, according to WFAA. Videos that surfaced of the shooting, however, show DPS troopers avoiding going inside out of fear of being shot.

In response to Cross' comments, McCraw said, "I can tell you this if DPS as an institution failed the families or failed the community or Uvalde then absolutely I need to go but I can tell you this right now we did not fail the community there were actions." He went on to promise an investigation and said he'll hold officers responsible for their actions, but the community said it's not enough.

"It’s time for you sir to keep your word and offer your resignation and turn in your gun and badge," a victim's uncle Jesse Rizo said.