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Pete Arredondo, the police chief who was heavily criticized for his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, was fired by the Uvalde School District on Wednesday.
On May 24, 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos non-fatally shot his grandmother before traveling to Robb Elementary School. At the school, he allegedly killed 21 people and injured 17 others in one of the deadliest school shootings in Texas history.
The public condemned Police Chief Arredondo for what has been perceived as a lackluster response to the shooting. Arredondo's officers are accused of having waited in the hallway while the alleged gunman shot the children and the school staff in the classrooms. CBS reported that the gunman was in the school for over an hour before he was confronted and shot by Uvalde authorities.
Pete Arredondo's response to the Uvalde massacre
Pete Arredondo has been on leave from his position since June 2022. The Guardian reported that due to several dissatisfied calls made by citizens concerning Pete Arredondo's response to the shooting, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District held a vote to determine whether or not he would continue to serve in the position. A unanimous vote among the board of trustees established that he would be fired.
Pete Arredondo did not show up to the meeting. Through his attorney, George Hyde, he said his decision was based on the fact that he would not be allowed to attend while armed with a gun. He claimed that, as he had received death threats, this lack of protection would put his life in jeopardy.
In an official statement, George Hyde wrote:
“Chief Arredondo will not participate in his own illegal and unconstitutional public lynching."
The statement also claimed that Pete Arredondo is ultimately being set up as a 'sacrificial lamb', as he was not primarily responsible. This contradicts the statement of Colonel Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, who said that the response of officers during the attack was Arredondo's responsibility.
Hyde argued that, on the contrary, Arredondo should be commended for stopping the perpetrator of the Uvalde massacre.
He wrote:
"Chief Arredondo is a leader and a courageous officer who with all of the other law enforcement officers who responded to the scene, should be celebrated for the lives saved, instead of vilified for those they couldn't reach in time."
According to CBS, after the unanimous vote, many parents cheered and cried out of emotion. Others loudly yelled out "Coward!" in reference to Arredondo.
While Arredondo had previously justified his response to the Uvalde shooting, he eventually admitted in a public statement that several mistakes had been made. His hearing had been delayed twice in the last 3 months.
