CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> John: CHRIS, THANKS FOR BEING
WITH US.
APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN TODAY.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO UVALDE,
TEXAS.
DON MCLAUGHLIN IS THE MAYOR
THERE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING TIME TO
SPEAK WITH US AND THE NATION.
LET’S START OFF WITH HOW IS THE
TOWN DOING?
I MEAN, I CAN’T IMAGINE HOW
DIFFICULT IT IS.
>> I MEAN, THIS DOWN IS HEART
BROKEN.
EVERYBODY IS.
I MEAN -- WE’VE GOT 19 FAMILIES
THAT LOST LOVED ONES, TWO
TEACHERS, THEIR FAMILY LOSS.
ONE TEACHER LOST HER HUSBAND --
LOST HER LIFE, HER HUSBAND HAD A
HEART ATTACK AND DIED YESTERDAY.
THIS TOWN IS IN SHOCK.
BUT THE ONE GOOD THING ABOUT OUR
COMMUNITY IS IT’S A STRONG
COMMUNITY, WE’LL BOUNCE BACK
FROM THIS.
YES, IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO
HEAL BUT WE WILL UNITE, WE ARE A
STRONG COMMUNITY, A CLOSE KNIT
COMMUNITY AND WILL COME BACK
FROM THIS.
>> Anita: MAYOR, YOU’VE BEEN THE
MAYOR THERE SINCE 2014.
IT’S A TOWN OF 16,000 PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE.
WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED RIGHT NOW?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HELP THE
COMMUNITY, COMFORT THEM THROUGH
THIS TIME?
>> WELL, I MEAN -- YOU KNOW,
WE’VE GOT LOTS OF COUNSELORS
COMING INTO TOWN, LOTS OF
PRAYERS.
PRAYERS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED.
BUT THE MOST -- THE OUTPOURING
OF LOVE AND COMFORT THAT WE ARE
GETTING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
AND THE COUNTRY IS ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT HELPS HEAL US.
THE BIGGEST THING THIS COMMUNITY
NEEDS NOW IS FOR THE COUNSELING
FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT NEED IT,
THE KIDS THAT WERE AT THAT
SCHOOL, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
ANOTHER PRAYER VIGIL I THINK
THIS EVENING WHERE PEOPLE CAN
COME TOGETHER.
THE ONE WE WENT TO THE OTHER
NIGHT THE -- IT WAS JUST AMAZING
TO SEE THE COMMUNITY COME
TOGETHER AND THERE WERE FAMILY
MEMBERS THERE THAT LOST LOVED
ONES.
TO SEE THEM OUT AND SEE THE LOVE
THIS COMMUNITY SHOWED THEM IS
JUST -- IT’S REMARKABLE.
>> John: FROM MAYOR, EARLIER
TODAY WE SAW STEVE McCRAW, THE
DIRECTOR OF TEXAS DPS FOR THE
SOUTH GIVE AN EXTRAORDINARY
PRESS CONFERENCE AND WHEN YOU
CONSIDER THE QUESTIONS THAT ALL
OF THE PARENTS ARE ASKING ABOUT
HOW COULD THIS HAVE BEEN
PREVENTED, COULD MORE HAVE BEEN
DONE DURING THE INCIDENT, WE
LEARNED THAT A DOOR WAS PROPPED
OPEN AND THAT’S HOW THE GUNMAN
GOT ACCESS, AND THEN DIRECTOR
McCRAW SAID THIS ABOUT THE
DECISION TO NOT BREACH THE DOOR
OF THE CLASSROOM TO TRY TO TAKE
OUT THE GUNMAN SOONER, LISTEN
HERE.
>> OF COURSE IT WAS NOT THE
RIGHT DECISION, IT WAS THE WRONG
DECISION, PERIOD.
THERE’S NO EXCUSE FOR THAT.
BUT AGAIN, I WASN’T THERE, BUT
I’M JUST TELLING YOU FROM WHAT
WE KNOW WE BELIEVE THERE SHOULD
HAVE BEEN AN ENTRY AS SOON AS
YOU CAN.
>> John: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ALL
THAT, MAYOR?
>> WELL, I’M NOT ON THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT SIDE AND I’M LEAVING
THEM TO THEIR INVESTIGATION, I’M
NOT INVOLVED IN THAT.
BUT I MEAN, I DO KNOW THERE WAS
A UVALDE SHERIFF’S DEPUTY AND
THE POLICE AND THE BORDER PATROL
THAT MADE ENTRY INTO THAT ROOM.
I DON’T KNOW ALL THE FACTS TO
THAT.
AND I WAS A LITTLE UPSET
YESTERDAY WHEN THE FACTS CHANGED
AGAIN AND I’M HOPING TO GET A
BRIEFING THIS AFTERNOON TO MAYBE
GET A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING.
YOU KNOW, WHATEVER HAPPENED IT’S
A TRAGEDY, WE HAVE TO FIND OUT
WHAT MISTAKES WERE MADE AND WHAT
HAPPENED, AND GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF IT.
I’M NOT ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
SIDE SO I HAVE NOT BEEN PRIVY TO
ALL THEIR INVESTIGATION.
>> Anita: MR. MAYOR WHEN YOU
SIGNED UP FOR THIS JOB, I CAN’T
IMAGINE YOU EVER THOUGHT YOU
WOULD EVER HAVE TO DO ANYTHING
LIKE THIS TO TRY TO COMFORT YOUR
COMMUNITY.
HOW CAN YOU PLAY A ROLE AND HELP
PEOPLE HERE?
WHAT DO YOU EVEN SAY TO PARENTS?
WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS YOU
ARE HAVING WITH THEM TO TRY TO
BRING THEM SOME SUPPORT AND LET
THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL
STANDING BEHIND THEM.
>> WELL, NOBODY SHOULD EVER HAVE
TO GO THROUGH THIS AND HOPE IT
NEVER HAS TO BE AGAIN FOR
ANYBODY IN THE WORLD.
BUT ALL I CAN TELL THESE
FAMILIES IS WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.
WE’LL BE HERE FOR YOU.
WHEN EVERYBODY IS GONE, WHEN THE
NEWS MEDIA IS GONE, AND
EVERYBODY HAS GONE DOWN THE
ROAD, WE WILL BE HERE AS A
COMMUNITY FOR YOU.
WE WILL SEE THAT YOU HAVE WHAT
YOU NEED.
BUT DON’T -- REACH OUT TO US IF
YOU 23450ED SOMETHING AND LET US
KNOW.
THERE IS A CLOSE KNIT COMMUNITY.
THERE WILL BE PEOPLE SEEING
THESE PEOPLE, MAKING SURE THAT
THEY ARE TAKING CARE OF, THEIR
NEEDS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
>> John: MR. MAYOR, YOU’VE NEVER
BEEN ONE TO MINCE WORDS, WE SAW
THAT THE OTHER DAY AT GOVERNOR
GREG ABBOTT’S PRESS CONFERENCE,
BUT YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT THE
FAILURE OF THE COUNTY, THE STATE
AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS WHEN IT
COMES TO INCIDENTS LIKE THIS.
YOU SAID "EVERYONE, EVERY
POLITICIAN IN WASHINGTON AND THE
STATE EVERY TIME IT IS MENTAL
HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, MENTAL
HEALTH.
WELL, IT’S TIME TO SHUT UP AND
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH
IS."
TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT, MR.
MAYOR.
>> WELL, I MEAN, HOW MANY TIMES
DO WE HEAR THAT A SHOOTER HAD
MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, HE NEVER
GOT THE -- HE NEVER GOT THE HELP
THAT HE NEEDED.
HE NEVER GOT THE, YOU KNOW, THEY
DROPPED THEM OFF THE FACE OF THE
EARTH.
NOBODY WANTS TO PICK UP THE TAB
TO TREAT THE MENTAL HEALTH DEAL.
MENTAL HEALTH IS REAL.
AND LIKE I SAID, THAT’S NOT THE
ONLY FACTOR.
THE GUN PLAYED A ROLE IN IT TOO,
BUT WHAT IF WE WOULD HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO HELP THIS CHILD.
WHAT IF SOME INCIDENT WOULD HAVE
TRIGGERED SOMEBODY COULD HAVE
CAUGHT AND WE COULD HAVE GOT HIM
HELP AND MIGHT COULD HAVE
AVOIDED THIS.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS WE DON’T DO
ANYTHING.
WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH HERE,
THEY EVALUATE YOU, OK, GONE.
WE DON’T HAVE ANY SERVICES IN
RURAL TEXAS.
YOU HAVE TO GO TO SAN ANTON OR
AUSTIN, THEY ARE 2, 2 AND A HALF
HOURS AWAY AND A LOT OF THE
FAMILIES DONE HAVE THE ABILITY
TO GET THERE.
IT’S TIME WE TALK ABOUT TREATING
MENTAL HEALTH, ADDRESSING THE
ISSUE, AND WE NEED TO QUIT
TALKING ABOUT IT.
WE GIVE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AWAY
TO COUNTRIES THAT DON’T EVEN
LIKE US.
WE OUGHT TO TAKE THAT MONEY AND
INVEST IN OUR OWN COUNTRY AND
BUILD FACILITIES.
LOOK AT THE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN
HOUSTON, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO,
ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES ON
THE STREET THAT HAVE PROBLEMS
AND THEY ARE NOT GETTING ANY
HELP FROM ANYBODY.
WE JUST LEAVE THEM.
>> Anita: I’M SORRY, I DIDN’T
MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.
SUCH A GOOD POINT YOU ARE MAKING
THAT PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN
COMMUNITY HAVE TO DRIVE TWO
HOURS AWAY TO A LARGER CITY TO
RECEIVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
AND COUNSELING.
I THINK DO YOU THINK NOW MAYBE
THAT WILL CHANGE?
WILL THERE BE SOME RESOURCES PUT
INTO YOUR COMMUNITY SO THAT
PEOPLE CAN RECEIVE TREATMENT
RIGHT IN THEIR HOMETOWN?
>> I’M HOPING SO.
TWO YEARS AGO WE STARTED WORKING
RIGHT BEFORE COVID STARTED, THE
CITY DONATED 7.5 ACRES AND WE
WERE TRYING TO GET A MENTAL
HEALTH HOSPITAL BUILT IN UVALDE,
BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE HUB FOR
44 COUNTIES TO COME TO UVALDE
AND RECEIVE TREATMENT.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF A
SUDDEN IT WAS A GO AND THEN ALL
OF A SUDDEN WE WERE TOLD WE HAD
TO RAISE $26 MILLION TO BUILD
THIS FACILITY.
WE DON’T HAVE THAT KIND OF
MONEY.
SO NOW WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK
OUT AND START LOOKING AT CAN WE
BUILD A SMALLER ONE OR
SOMETHING, BUT RURAL TEXAS LACKS
THESE SERVICES.
THIS HOSPITAL IN UVALDE WOULD BE
THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO SERVICE
ALL THESE COUNTIES IN OUR AREA,
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS
HOSPITAL BUILT AND HAVE THE HELP
THESE PEOPLE NEED IN OUR AREA
AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
>> John: MR. MAYOR WE SHOULD
POINT OUT AS WELL, YOU HAVE
STARTED THE ROBB SCHOOL MEMORIAL
FUND, IF ANY OF THE FOLKS AT
HOME WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO
YOUR COMMUNITY, 200 EAST NOPEL
STREET, UVALDE, TEXAS, AND ALSO
ZELLE OR ONLINE AT THE ONE STAR
FOUNDATION.
MR. MAYOR, THE ENTIRE NATION IS
PRAYING FOR YOUR CITY.
WE WISH YOU GOD SPEED IN TRYING
TO GET THROUGH THIS TRAGEDY.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE PRAYERS