Uvalde school board fires chief Pete Arredondo for Robb school massacre response: report

The Uvalde school board agreed Wednesday to fire Pete Arredondo, the school district’s police chief broadly criticized for his response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, in a unanimous vote that came shortly after he asked to be taken off of suspension and receive backpay.

Arredondo, widely blamed for law enforcement’s delayed response in confronting the gunman who killed 21 people at Robb Elementary, made the request for reinstatement through his attorney, George E. Hyde. The meeting came exactly three months after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary. Arredondo didn’t attend the meeting.

“Chief Arredondo will not participate in his own illegal and unconstitutional public lynching and respectfully requests the Board immediately reinstate him, with all backpay and benefits and close the complaint as unfounded,” Hyde said in a statement.

About 100 people showed up to the meeting Wednesday. Many chanted “coward” and “no justice, no peace.” Four people spoke during a public comment period before the board went into closed session to deliberate Arredondo’s employment.

Arredondo was one of the first law enforcement officers to respond to the shooting at Robb Elementary on May 24. Nearly 400 local, state and federal law enforcement officers waited more than an hour to confront the 18-year-old gunman after he entered the school.

The board began deliberating his fate behind closed doors shortly before 6 p.m. Trustees faced intense public pressure to fire Arredondo, whom many state leaders have publicly blamed for the delayed response to the shooter.

Hyde asked school officials to read a statement on Arredondo’s behalf at the meeting. They did not comply with the request.