Ex-Uvalde School Police Chief Faces 10 Counts Of ‘Abandoning & Endangering’ Robb Elementary Survivors

Ex-Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo has been indicted in relation to the investigation into the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Arredondo is facing 10 counts of abandoning and endangering a child in relation with 10 of the Robb Elementary survivors, the indictment shows.

On Thursday night, Arredondo was placed into the Uvalde County Jail and was then released after posting bail.

Reports have also indicated that another person has been charged, as well. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, that person has been identified as ex-Uvalde School District police officer Adrian Gonzales.

The indictment states that after hearing gunshots going off, Arredondo did not identify the shooting as an active shooter, didn’t respond as trained, but instead, called in SWAT. This led to a delay in the response by authorities.

The indictment also notes that Arredondo decided to negotiate with the gunman and not engage. He also didn’t provide keys nor breaching equipment in a timely manner, failed to figure out if the classroom door was locked, didn’t follow the school district’s active shooter policy, and didn’t develop an immediate action plan.

Eventually, Arredondo was fired for his behavior during the shooting. Following the shooting, he stated that he did not look at himself as the ‘incident commander’ although it was stated on the active shooter plan that he came up with.

Nineteen students and two teachers were fatally shot in the incident at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department released a report that discovered ‘critical failures’ prior to, during, and following the shooting, and major derivations from the laid out active-shooter guidelines.