UVALDE, Texas — The Uvalde, Texas, school district -- still facing withering criticism over its police department's failings both during the May 24 elementary school massacre and since -- announced the suspension of the entire district police force on Friday.
Hours later, Uvalde school district Superintendent Hal Harrell announced he would be retiring. There was no timeframe given for Harrell's retirement, but the transition will be discussed in a closed session of the school board on Monday.
Victims' families, led by Brett Cross, guardian of 10-year-old victim Uziyah Garcia, had been holding a round-the-clock vigil outside the school district headquarters calling for change. The families are now commending Friday's police department announcement. "They don't know how to hire people, they don't know how to vet officers," she told ABC News."They haven't provided proper training."
The department suspension comes one day after the firing of Crimson Elizondo, the officer who was hired by Uvalde's school district despite being under investigation for her conduct as a DPS trooper during the massacre.
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