Additional Coverage:
- Uvalde school police chief indicted over mass shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead (newsbreak.com)
The ex-head of school police in Uvalde, Texas, has been charged with crimes related to child endangerment following his actions during the tragic mass shooting in May 2022.
Pete Arredondo, the former chief, was formally charged by a grand jury in Uvalde, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News this past Thursday. He, along with Adrian Gonzales, another ex-officer, faces state felony charges for abandoning/endangering a child. The exact timing of these charges being filed remains unclear.
This legal action makes Arredondo and Gonzales the initial law enforcement figures to face charges for what has been criticized as a mismanaged reaction to the devastating incident at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, which resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers.
Arredondo, who was at the helm of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s police department during the incident, was perceived as the commanding officer of the operation. Gonzales was among the officers from the school police force who responded to the emergency.
The response to the shooting saw the involvement of approximately 400 officers from around two dozen different state, local, and federal agencies. Despite this, officers delayed entry into the classroom where the shooter was barricaded for 77 minutes, during which the shooter continued his assault.
Arredondo later stated that he was unaware he was the commanding officer responsible for the crisis response. Efforts to contact Arredondo for comments were unsuccessful, and Gonzales disconnected a call from a reporter attempting to reach out.
A critical review by the Department of Justice issued in January criticized the delayed action in confronting the shooter, highlighting a departure from standard police procedures that advocate for immediate engagement with an active shooter. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland noted that adherence to established response tactics could have saved lives.
The shooter, an 18-year-old wielding a semi-automatic rifle, initiated the attack at approximately 11:33 am, discharging over 100 rounds within the span of a few minutes in classrooms 111 and 112.
The first law enforcement officers on scene were among those indicted. As officers attempted to close in on the shooter, he fired through the door and wall, injuring officers.
Despite calls for backup and additional protective equipment, Arredondo decided against storming the classrooms right away, opting instead to evacuate the building and prepare to negotiate with the shooter. This decision, as reported, overruled other officers’ willingness to enter the classrooms once equipped with protective shields, effectively making all responding agencies subordinate to his command.
Following these events, Arredondo was dismissed from his position, and the district overhauled its school police force. The families of the victims have been actively seeking accountability for Arredondo’s actions during the crisis.