Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas taking pictures to affix Metropolis Council

The police chief who reportedly made the call to not instantly send officers into Robb Elementary Faculty to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's Metropolis Council simply three weeks ago after working on a platform of communication and outreach to the group. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased College District, stopped no less than 19 officers from breaking into the school as the gunman opened fireplace for a minimum of an hour.

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

“From the good thing about hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the proper resolution. It was a incorrect resolution. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw stated at a information conference. “There were plenty of officers to do what wanted to be executed, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted more gear and more officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

Based on McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active menace, so instead of sending officers in, he spent time discovering keys that may let him into the varsity. Throughout this time, nonetheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the assault. Nineteen students and two lecturers have been killed.

Arredondo was not current among legislation enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw didn't explicitly identify him.

Arredondo did not immediately return a request for comment by NBC News.

As the community calls for answers and items together a shaky and conflicting timeline of occasions, scrutiny has turned to Arredondo, who was born and raised in Uvalde. 

After working because the police captain on the United Impartial Faculty 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 faculty district, in keeping with the Uvalde Leader-News.

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

Arredondo told the Chief-News that he was desirous to serve the community, saying he was dedicated to establishing a robust working relationship with the three officers he could be leading. 

“We want to make sure that we can be found wherever we are needed,” Arredondo instructed the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his native likability led to a successful bid for a City Council seat this month. He beat out three different candidates, garnering almost 70 p.c of the vote in the May 7 election, reported the Uvalde Chief-News. 

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

“I’m very excited, I'm able to hit the ground running. I have plenty of concepts, and I definitely have loads 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 capturing.

Safia Samee Ali is a reporter for NBC Information Digital, based mostly in Chicago.