The Uvalde schools police chief who headed the force of first responders that waited more than an hour before reacting to a mass shooter at the Texas city’s elementary school last month has announced his resignation from Uvalde City Council — less than a month after he was sworn in to the municipal body.
Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police chief, was elected to the position on May 7 and sworn in during a private ceremony on May 31, a week after gunman Salvador Ramos killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.
Arredondo maintains that he was not the incident commander on the day of the shooting, a claim disputed by the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is investigating the massacre.
“After much consideration, I regret to inform those who voted for me that I have decided to step down as a member of the city council for District 3,” Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader News.
“The mayor, the city council, and the city staff must continue to move forward without distractions. I feel this is the best decision for Uvalde.”
Arrendondo had not attended any City Council meetings since he was sworn in.
Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo has resigned from the town’s city council. Mikala Compton-USA TODAY NETWORK/Sipa USAThe council convened on June 21 to discuss Arrendondo’s request for a leave of absence, which it ultimately denied, according to the New York Times. Several residents approached the podium at the meeting and called for the chief to step down.
“After choosing to wait an hour for backup, instead of ordering officers to take down the shooter, he’s proven he cannot do his job,” said 17-year-old Jazmin Cazares, who lost her sister and cousin in the massacre, told the council.
“How am I supposed to quit grieving, especially knowing he did nothing to protect my sister, my cousin, her friends and her teachers?”
Martin Herrera, who lost a grandson in the shooting, told the Times that Arredondo’s resignation was the right move for the city as it slowly recovers from the tragedy.
Leonard Sandoval, who also lost a grandson in the shooting, told the paper Arredondo “should have resigned a lot sooner.”
