Uvalde, Texas – A former school district police chief, Pete Arredondo, who led the response to a tragic elementary school shooting in 2022 that claimed the lives of 21 individuals, including 19 children, is now facing a child endangerment charge, as per the Uvalde jail on Thursday. Arredondo, 52, was taken into custody by law enforcement officers on allegations of abandoning and endangering a child, the jail reported.
The San Antonio Express-News was the first to report on the charges brought against Arredondo, who was subsequently booked into the Uvalde facility on Thursday afternoon. Earlier this year, the Justice Department released a comprehensive 600-page report highlighting deficiencies in coordination, training, and execution of active shooter protocols by Uvalde officers during the tragic incident at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022.
According to the report, officers failed to effectively engage the 18-year-old gunman, choosing to retreat instead of confronting the threat head-on. This delay in action led to tragic consequences, with 19 students losing their lives, two teachers fatally shot, and 17 others sustaining injuries. The report also pointed out that officers were operating under misguided beliefs about the behavior of active shooters, causing critical delays in their response.
State lawmakers in Texas echoed the Justice Department’s findings, citing systemic failures and poor decision-making in the law enforcement and school district response to the shooting. Arredondo, identified as the de facto commander at the scene, faced repercussions for his role in the botched response and was ultimately fired by the Uvalde school board.
Arredondo’s dismissal was met with controversy, with his lawyer denouncing it as an unjust and unconstitutional act. Despite facing administrative punishment and termination from his position, Arredondo continues to maintain his stance as a victim of the shooting, disputing the grounds for his termination. The aftermath of the tragic event continues to raise questions about the preparedness and response protocols of law enforcement agencies in similar crisis situations.