Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas shooting to join Metropolis Council

The police chief who reportedly made the call to not immediately ship officers into Robb Elementary School to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's City Council just three weeks ago after working on a platform of communication and outreach to the community. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased Faculty District, stopped not less than 19 officers from breaking into the college because the gunman opened fireplace for at the very least an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the youngsters weren't below an lively threat, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Division of Public Security, stated Friday. 

“From the good thing about hindsight the place I’m sitting now, in fact, it was not the best resolution. It was a unsuitable determination. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw said at a information conference. “There were plenty of officers to do what wanted to be carried out, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed extra tools and more officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

Based on McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active risk, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he hung out discovering keys that would let him into the school. During this time, however, the shooter had unencumbered entry to hold out the attack. Nineteen students and two academics were killed.

Arredondo was not present among legislation enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw did not explicitly identify him.

Arredondo didn't instantly return a request for comment by NBC News.

Because the group demands solutions and items collectively a shaky and conflicting timeline of events, scrutiny has turned to Arredondo, who was born and raised in Uvalde. 

After working because the police captain on the United Impartial College District in Laredo, Texas, about 140 miles south of Uvalde, Arredondo returned to his hometown in April 2020, when he accepted the position of chief of police for the Uvalde school district, in accordance with the Uvalde Leader-Information.

The former chief, Leo Flores, resigned after being arrested on costs of unlawfully carrying a gun in a bar and threatening an officer, the newspaper reported. 

Arredondo told the Leader-News that he was desirous to serve the community, saying he was dedicated to establishing a strong working relationship with the three officers he can be main. 

“We want to be certain we are available wherever we are wanted,” Arredondo told the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his local likability led to a profitable bid for a City Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering almost 70 percent of the vote in the Might 7 election, reported the Uvalde Leader-Information. 

The chief campaigned, largely door-to-door, on communication and outreach “to those in want,” the newspaper said. 

“I’m very excited, I'm ready to hit the bottom running. I've plenty of concepts, and I definitely have plenty of drive,” Arredondo instructed the outlet this month.

Arredondo is scheduled to be sworn onto the council on Tuesday, precisely one week after the Uvalde shooting.

Safia Samee Ali is a reporter for NBC News Digital, primarily based in Chicago.