UVALDE, Texas — One of the Texas state troopers being investigated for her response to the Uvalde school shooting was hired by Uvalde CISD to protect children. A day after CNN first reported the story, the district announced Crimson Elizondo had been fired.
"We are deeply distressed by the information that was disclosed yesterday evening concerning one of our recently hired employees, Crimson Elizondo," the district said in a statement, "We sincerely apologize to the victims' families and the greater Uvalde community for the pain that this revelation has caused."
Editor's note: The video above originally aired on Oct. 5 before Elizondo was fired.
Elizondo was seen in video outside Robb Elementary within minutes of the shooting massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead. Body camera footage later released also showed her in the hallway with her gun drawn.
DPS launched an investigation after the bodycam videos showed multiple law enforcement officers, including state troopers, waiting in the hallway for more than an hour instead of confronting the gunman. Even after learning some children were still alive and begging for help on the phone, they did nothing.
After the gunman was finally shot and killed, Elizondo helped comfort students who survived the shooting and rode with them to the hospital on a school bus, according to CNN.
Family members told CNN they saw Elizondo working at Uvalde Elementary, where many Robb Elementary students were transferred, and recognized her from the bodycam.
“We are disgusted and angry at Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s (UCISD) decision to hire Officer Crimson Elizondo. Her hiring puts into question the credibility and thoroughness of UCISD’s HR and vetting practices,” according to a statement from family representatives.
According to CNN, when Superintendent Hal Harrell announced that 33 DPS officers would be deployed at the district's eight schools, he assured residents they wouldn't include any troopers who responded to the shooting.
It's not clear if Uvalde CISD knew Elizondo was under investigation when she was hired.
Scroll down for full statement from Uvalde CISD.
Uvalde CISD's full statement on Crimson Elizondo
"We are deeply distressed by the information that was disclosed yesterday evening concerning one of our recently hired employees, Crimson Elizondo. We sincerely apologize to the victim’s families and the greater Uvalde community for the pain that this revelation has caused.
Ms. Elizondo’s statement in the audio is not consistent with the District's expectations. Effective today (October 6), Crimson Elizondo has been terminated from her position with the Uvalde CISD.
Regarding the remaining UCISD Police Department employees, we continue to make personnel decisions based on verifiable information. An independent investigation is underway to evaluate the actions of the current officers on May 24, 2022. Additionally, we are awaiting results of a management and organizational review of the UCISD Police Department that will aid the district in taking informed actions to further ensure the safety and security of our schools.
This is all the information we have at this time. We will provide update(s) as information becomes available to us."