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Pete Arredondo, the former Uvalde school police chief has been indicted on child endangerment charges. The felony accusations are related to his actions during the tragic mass shooting in May 2022. 

The families of the victims have long campaigned for charges against Arredondo, seeking accountability for his actions during the tragic event.

The indictment was handed down by the Uvalde grand jury, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. Arredondo faces charges of abandoning/endangering a child, a state felony, alongside Adrian Gonzales, another former officer. The precise timing of the indictment remains unclear.

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Uvalde School Police Chief Inaction

On the day of the shooting, Arredondo, led the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s police force. As the first on-scene he was designated as the incident commander. Gonzales was among the responding officers from the school police force. 

The horrific events began at approximately 11:33 AM, when the 18-year-old shooter armed with a semiautomatic rifle entered the school’s west building and targeted classrooms 111 and 112, which were interconnected. Within two and a half minutes, he fired over 100 rounds.

Despite the involvement of at least two dozen state, local, and federal agencies, and nearly 400 officers, law enforcement waited 77 minutes before entering the classroom where the shooter had barricaded himself. 

During this time, officers remained in the hallway while the massacre unfolded inside. Parents gathered outside the school and demanded to go in to save their children. The police did not allow them access, despite the shots coming from inside the school.

Arredondo later claimed he was unaware he was in command of the response. 

DOJ Report

In January, the Department of Justice released a critical incident review of the shooting, highlighting the delayed response in confronting the assailant.

 According to police doctrine, officers are expected to act immediately to confront an active shooter.

 U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that adherence to standard active-shooter protocols could have saved lives, stating, “Had law enforcement followed generally accepted practices in an active-shooter situation and gone right after the shooter to stop him, lives would have been saved, and people would have survived.”

Arredondo and Gonzales were among the first law enforcement officers on the scene. As they approached the classrooms, the shooter fired several shots through the door and wall, injuring two officers.

 In response, law enforcement called for backup and additional protective equipment. Despite these efforts, about 20 minutes after the shooting began, Arredondo decided against entering the classrooms, opting instead to clear the building and plan a negotiation strategy.

Investigations End in Charges

An investigation conducted by the city revealed that Uvalde police officers were prepared to enter the classrooms once they had protective shields, but Arredondo’s decision ultimately prevented this action. 

Even though Arredondo served as the school police chief, his role as incident commander required other agencies to defer to his orders.

Arredondo was eventually fired, and the entire school police force was replaced by the district.