UVALDE, Texas – It’s hard to believe, but May 24, 2025, will mark three years since the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.
Twenty-one lives were taken in the massacre at Robb Elementary School in 2022. No matter how much time has passed, many in Uvalde said there is no “moving on” from the incident.
That includes Uvalde native and current mayor Hector Luevano.
“Our city is never going to forget what happened,” Luevano said. “That’s going to be a part of our history.”
Luevano took his oath of office as mayor in January 2025. Four months later, he sat down with KSAT for an interview. He mentioned that part of his leadership is striking a balance between honoring the victims of the tragedy and preparing the city for its future.
Luevano also wants to help the people of Uvalde heal.
“I would like to see more continuity,” Luevano said. “The community working together more closely.”
The mayor admitted that it will take time.
“I’m not too sure what it’s going to take to do that, but I plan to meet more often with the community, with the business people, the school districts,” Luevano said.
Trust between locals, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department, the city and state law enforcement eroded after the shooting.
Investigations indicated that it took law enforcement more than one hour to confront and stop the school shooter. A DOJ report also slammed law enforcement response.
KSAT asked Luevano about the rift between the public and law enforcement since he worked at the Texas Department of Public Safety for decades.
“I think the school district police and local police department have come a long way since then,” Luevano said. “They’ve had more training, more involvement with other agencies.”
Luevano said now that he’s “grounded” in his position, he wants to help lead improvements to the city’s streets and infrastructure.
“There are areas of our city, just like in other communities, that seem to be neglected or they’re not addressed in a timely manner,” said Luevano.
Luevano also said he will continue the city’s commitment to help the families of the shooting victims.
“We are more than willing to be there for the families,” Luevano said. “We’re there for their families. We‘re going to support them.”
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