Uvalde, Texas – The former police chief of the Uvalde school district, Pete Arredondo, who commanded the botched law enforcement response to the 2022 massacre at Robb Elementary School, has been charged with child endangerment, according to Uvalde county jail officials. The tragic event last year left 21 victims dead, including 19 children.
Arredondo, 52, was taken into custody and faces 10 counts of abandoning and endangering a child, based on the details of an indictment from the 38th Judicial Court. His arrest follows months of outcry over the police’s delayed response in confronting the shooter during the incident.
Officials have confirmed that Arredondo secured his release the same day after posting bail. The bail included a $10,000 surety bond along with nine $10,000 personal recognizance bonds. No immediate response to requests for comment was issued by Arredondo, and it remains unclear if he is represented by an attorney.
Similarly, a second officer connected to the incident, Adrian Gonzales, was booked on charges involving child endangerment. Authorities at Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Gonzales was arrested and released on the following day. He faces 29 felony counts, with allegations stating that he endangered the lives of 29 children during the incident.
According to the indictment related to Gonzales, he reportedly hesitated to act upon hearing the gunshots at the school and disregarding his training that required him to move towards the gunfire. Gonzales’ attorney, Nico LaHood from San Antonio, recently issued a statement. LaHood emphasized that Gonzales contends he did not breach any district policy or state law, terming the application of the statute under these conditions as unprecedented in Texas.
The indictment elaborates on Arredondo’s alleged failure in his capacity as the incident commander. It accuses him of not classifying the situation as an active shooter scenario promptly, which significantly delayed the law enforcement response. Mistakes cited include not ensuring expedient access to classrooms where victims were located and mismanaging the establishment of a command center.
Earlier, a comprehensive Justice Department report criticized the overall response by Uvalcade officers to the shooting. It pointed out several critical failures in coordination, training, and execution under active shooter protocols, notably indicating that officers had mistaken the scenario for a potential hostage crisis instead of aggressively neutralizing the threat.
The delay in subduing the gunman, who was 18 at the time, extended over 70 minutes from when the officers first arrived, during which more casualties were sustained. Besides the fatalities, 17 other individuals sustained injuries.
This incident prompted state lawmakers to echo similar criticisms made by the Justice Department. They highlighted “systemic failures and egregiously poor decision-making” as pervasive issues in both law enforcement and school district protocols.
Arredondo was dismissed from his role by the Uvalde school board following the incident, facing immense public scrutiny and legal repercussions. His attorney at the time of dismissal claimed that Arredondo himself was a victim of circumstances surrounding the shooting, describing his firing as an arguably harsh punitive measure.
The community continues to grieve as the legal procedures unfold. Berlinda Arreola, the grandmother of 10-year-old victim Amerie Jo Garza, addressed the arrest of Arredondo, reflecting the somber sentiment prevalent among the affected families: “It’s still a sad moment. There’s nothing to be happy about,” she remarked, “We are having to relive this nightmare again knowing they had the chance to save some of our loved ones — maybe all of them.”