Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas capturing to affix City Council

The police chief who reportedly made the decision to not immediately ship officers into Robb Elementary Faculty to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's City Council simply three weeks in the past after working on a platform of communication and outreach to the neighborhood. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased Faculty District, stopped at least 19 officers from breaking into the college as the gunman opened hearth for no less than an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the kids weren't under an active risk, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Security, mentioned Friday. 

“From the good thing about hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the proper determination. It was a fallacious choice. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw stated at a information convention. “There have been loads of officers to do what needed to be carried out, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed more gear and extra officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In keeping with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no energetic risk, so as a substitute of sending officers in, he frolicked finding keys that might let him into the college. During this time, nonetheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the assault. Nineteen students and two academics were killed.

Arredondo was not current amongst legislation enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw didn't explicitly name him.

Arredondo didn't immediately return a request for comment by NBC Information.

Because the community demands answers and items collectively a shaky and conflicting timeline of occasions, scrutiny has turned to Arredondo, who was born and raised in Uvalde. 

After working because the police captain at the United Independent College District in Laredo, Texas, about 140 miles south of Uvalde, Arredondo returned to his hometown in April 2020, when he accepted the place of chief of police for the Uvalde school district, in line with the Uvalde Chief-News.

The previous chief, Leo Flores, resigned after being arrested on charges of unlawfully carrying a gun in a bar and threatening an officer, the newspaper reported. 

Arredondo instructed the Chief-Information that he was desirous to serve the community, saying he was committed to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he could be leading. 

“We need to be sure we are available wherever we are needed,” Arredondo instructed the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his local likability led to a successful bid for a Metropolis Council seat this month. He beat out three different candidates, garnering nearly 70 p.c of the vote within the Might 7 election, reported the Uvalde Leader-Information. 

The chief campaigned, largely door-to-door, on communication and outreach “to those in want,” the newspaper stated. 

“I’m very excited, I'm ready to hit the bottom operating. I have plenty of concepts, and I definitely have plenty of drive,” Arredondo instructed the outlet this month.

Arredondo is scheduled to be sworn onto the council on Tuesday, exactly one week after the Uvalde shooting.

Safia Samee Ali is a reporter for NBC News Digital, primarily based in Chicago.