Uvalde school police chief sworn in as city council member despite not responding to state investigators

Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo was formally sworn in as a new city council member on Tuesday, despite not responding to a request for a follow-up interview from the Texas Rangers who are investigating last week’s school shooting. 

“Uvalde City Council members were sworn in today as per the City Charter. Out of respect for the families who buried their children today, and who are planning to bury their children in the next few days, no ceremony was held,” Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said Tuesday evening. 

“Our parents deserve answers and I trust the Texas Department of Public Safety/Texas Rangers will leave no stone unturned.”

Arredondo became the chief of police for the Uvalde school district in 2020 and was elected to the city council earlier this month. 

UVALDE, TEXAS POLICE COOPERATING WITH POLICE IN SCHOOL SHOOTING PROBE, DISTRICT PD CHIEF NOT RESPONDING

He assumed the role of incident commander last week when a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School, killing 19 children and two adults. 

The suspect, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was inside the school for over an hour as 19 officers staged in a hallway, because Arredondo thought “that there was no more threat to the children and that the subject was barricaded and that they had time to organize,” Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said Friday. 

Arredondo attended the first couple of press conferences and initially worked with the Texas Rangers on their investigation, but has stopped responding to their requests for a follow-up interview in recent days. 

“The Uvalde Police Department and Uvalde CISD Police have been cooperating with investigators,” the statement said. “The chief of the Uvalde CISD Police provided an initial interview but has not responded to a request for a followup interview with the Texas Rangers that was made two days ago.”

Funeral services for the 21 people who were killed in the shooting began on Tuesday. 

“I ask everyone to pray for us, the citizens of Uvalde as we grieve, and live through the pain, and the healing process,” McLaughlin said Tuesday.