Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo resigns from city council

The embattled law enforcement officer blamed for the botched response to a mass shooting inside a Texas school has resigned from the Uvalde City Council.

Pete Arredondo defeated three other people to claim the council seat back in May, just weeks before suspected gunman Salvador Ramos unleashed violence inside a classroom at Robb Elementary School. Two teachers and 19 students, all of them under the age of 10, were killed in the massacre on May 24.

Uvalde Police Chief Pete Arredondo is giving up his council position.

As head of the six-member police force responsible for keeping Uvalde schools safe, Arredondo has been the primary target for critics who believe authorities did not do enough to end the bloodshed. He was placed on administrative leave last month, after Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told a state Senate committee that responding officers waited to engage with the gunman based on Arredondo’s orders.

Instead of immediately engaging the shooter, officers milled about in the hallway, outside the classroom where Ramos had barricaded himself, for more than an hour — entering the room only after locating the key that unlocked it.

Officials have said Arredondo incorrectly treated the gunman as a barricaded suspect instead of an active shooter. The officer has previously said he did not believe students were still at risk and that he based his response on the information provided at the time.

Despite a storm of backlash, Arredondo was quietly sworn onto the Uvalde City Council without fanfare and amid an investigation into his response to the classroom carnage. He has not attended a meeting since then.

Investigators search for evidences outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 25, 2022, after an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 students and two teachers. (Jae C. Hong/)

On Friday, the officer announced his resignation from the city council in a statement to the Uvalde News Ledger.

“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, and the city staff must continue to move forward without distractions. I feel this is the best decision for Uvalde,” Arredondo said.

Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo stands during a news conference outside of the Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas Thursday, May 26, 2022. (Dario Lopez-Mills/)

“Uvalde has a rich history of loving and supporting thy neighbor and we must continue to do so. In speaking with other communities that have had similar tragedies, the guidance has been the same ... continue to support the families, continue to support our community. Together we will keep Uvalde strong.”

In a statement Saturday, Uvalde city leadership said it only just learned about Arredondo’s intention to resign from the Uvalde Leader-News.

“While it is the right thing to do, no one from the City has seen a letter or any other documentation of his resignation, or spoken with him,” according to a statement obtained by NBC News. “When the City receives confirmation of Councilman Arredondo’s resignation, the City will address the Council place vacancy.”