The former Uvalde School Police Chief and another ex-cop have been charged in connection with their botched response to the Robb Elementary School massacre.
Former chief Pedro ‘Pete’ Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales have been indicted on child abuse charges in connection with the tragedy, San Antonio Express News reports.
A total of 21 people – 19 fourth-graders and two teachers – were killed when gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, opened fire on May 24, 2022.
Police came under heavy criticism in the aftermath of the massacre after it emerged no one tried to confront Ramos until 77 minutes after he began his rampage.
Arredondo, police chief of the Uvalde School District, was responsible for the massive police response that day, which saw at least 380 officers from various local, state and federal agencies visit the school.
Former Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo (pictured) and another former officer have been indicted for their botched response to the Robb Elementary massacre
He and Gonzales, a school police officer, were among the first officers on the scene.
The former chief was heavily criticized for failing to engage the gunman even as children were bleeding.
He admitted that he decided not to neutralize Ramos, hoping to save the lives of other children.
However, this action violated his department’s protocols for active shooters and essentially resulted in the students being trapped in the classroom and Ramos left for dead.
Arredondo was immediately suspended and fired shortly afterwards.
A DOJ investigation found that failed leadership led to delays, which may have worsened the fatalities.
The report said police acted with “no urgency” in setting up a command center, creating confusion over who was in charge.
Arredondo threw away his radios upon arrival because he deemed them unnecessary, the report said.
Salvador Ramos killed 19 children and two teachers in the shooting on May 24, 2022
Footage shows Peter Arredondo directing armed officers at Uvalde elementary school
A major mistake was believing the gunman was barricaded or restrained, yet he continued shooting, killing more children and wounding an officer.
An investigation commissioned by the city of Uvalde also found that officers wanted to storm the classroom as soon as the bulletproof shields arrived, but that Arredondo ignored their request.
Ramos was eventually shot dead by gunmen from the US Border Patrol Tactical Unit, who ran past the many other agents standing in the hallway.
Gonzales is barely mentioned in official accounts of the shooting, but he underwent SWAT training and was an active shooter training instructor for the Uvalde school police.
The criminal charges against the former police officer are the first in connection with the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.
District Attorney Christina Mitchell revealed in January that she had convened a grand jury to weigh possible charges.
As part of the fact-finding mission, the twelve jurors toured the now-closed school for about an hour.
Police came under heavy criticism in the aftermath of the shooting after it emerged no one tried to confront Ramos until 77 minutes after he began his rampage.
Democrat Senator Roland Gutierrez has expressed outrage that Arredondo and Gonzales are the only police charged over the failures.
“If they’re going to charge those two officers, they should also charge the 13 DPS officers in that hallway,” Gutierrez told the San Antonio Express News. “I find that very disturbing.”
The entire police force was changed in the aftermath of the massacre.
But Don McLaughlin Jr, who was mayor at the time of the shooting, suggested there has been a “glare” over the role of other agencies involved on the day.
This is a breaking news story, check back often for updates…