Uvalde School Police Chief Faces Indictment for Failing to Act During Tragic Shooting

The Uvalde school police chief, Pete Arredondo, has been indicted for his delayed response during a school shooting that resulted in 21 deaths. The indictment accuses him of endangering children and mishandling the situation, ultimately delaying law enforcement's efforts to stop the shooter.

The police chief for schools in Uvalde, Texas, Pete Arredondo, has been formally indicted for his inadequate response during an active shooting incident at Robb Elementary, according to court documents unsealed on Friday.

Arredondo, arrested and briefly jailed on Thursday night, faces 10 state felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child related to the tragic May 24, 2022, shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead. He and former school officer Adrian Gonzales are the first law enforcement officials charged criminally over the handling of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

The Uvalde County grand jury indictment details Arredondo’s critical mistakes, including his failure to identify the situation as an active shooter scenario and ordering initial responders to evacuate rather than confront the 18-year-old gunman immediately. As a result, more than 370 officers delayed for over 70 minutes before stopping the shooter, despite hearing ongoing gunfire and receiving 911 calls from terrified students. The indictment underscores the failure to protect survivors, potentially resulting in a two-year jail term for Arredondo if convicted.