Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District trustees finally provided families with some measure of accountability in terminating its police chief, Pete Arredondo, last week.
Arredondo’s flustered response to the massacre has been widely condemned. While that criticism is warranted, he also has been scapegoated as the law enforcement failure was clearly much broader than his actions or the response of his small department.
But we can’t imagine Uvalde having to face a new school year with Arredondo in charge of security. His presence in the district would be unsettling and disruptive, considering the failed police response to Robb Elementary on May 24, when a gunman murdered 19 children and two teachers.
Calls for his resignation or termination would dominate the new school year, which will move forward under enormous clouds of grief. Everything has changed for this small community, and that has to be reflected in the various levels of leadership.
But now Arredondo is no longer the chief — an outcome so many families of the victims have sought. The action came Aug. 24, three months after the massacre, encapsulating the painful march of time.
On ExpressNews.com: Uvalde school board fires its embattled police chief Pete Arredondo after he skips his termination hearing
Arredondo should have resigned long ago. We were unmoved by a 17-page statement issued by Arredondo’s attorney, George Hyde, which shirked responsibility and blamed others.
The statement said Arredondo was “forced into the role of the fall guy,” that he was “the sacrificial lamb.”
Arredondo, who didn’t attend the special Aug. 24 meeting, blamed the shooter.
“One could blame God. Why did God let this happen?” the statement said. “Certainly, and without question, the only person responsible for this tragedy is the shooter himself.”
Certainly, and without question, the shooter is responsible for the massacre. But just as state lawmakers are responsible for the lax gun laws in Texas that made firearms accessible to the shooter, Arredondo is responsible for his response, flailing for a key he did not need, calling for more and more backup and equipment as children suffered for 77 minutes in Rooms 111 and 112.
Arredondo has denied serving as incident commander on this fateful day. But this argument is undercut by policy — “the District police department Chief will become the person in control” — and rhetoric from the scene — “Chief is in there, Chief is in charge right now,” one officer said.
Beyond this, Arredondo left behind his radio when he entered the school, and he didn’t follow the active shooter plan he co-wrote. His failure to lead in the key early minutes is at the root of the terrible question of whether any lives might have been saved with a quicker response.
So, yes, Arredondo must be held responsible for his actions, and, yes, his continued employment with UCISD would have been untenable. But he is not responsible for the entire police response of 376 law enforcement officers. This includes 91 officers with the Department of Public Safety and 149 agents with the U.S. Border Patrol. Arredondo might have set a confusing tone, but there were plenty of other officers who could have changed that.
As one DPS agent said that day, “If there’s kids in there, we need to go in there.” But that agent did not rush into Rooms 111 and 112.
As the Uvalde community grieves — there is no moving on — the call for justice and accountability grows. Understandably, many members of the community want other law enforcement officers and school administrators to answer for their actions on that horrible day. UCISD must seriously consider these grievances, just as local and state officials continue to investigate the complete law enforcement response.
On ExpressNews.com: 6 grievances filed against Uvalde school superintendent in aftermath of Robb Elementary shooting
On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: In Uvalde, outrage, blame not the same as accountability
At the Aug. 24 school board meeting, about 100 people, many family members of the shooting victims, were in the audience, some chanting “coward” and “no justice, no peace.”
We expect more justice and accountability to come with time, but what Uvalde will ultimately need is a truthful and full accounting of what happened. It is far too soon for a truth and reconciliation commission, but our hope is in the coming years, one will be formed to honor the victims of Uvalde, offer a complete reckoning of the multiple layers of failure and chart a way forward for those who must live with a grief no one should ever bear.
San Antonio Express-News
