Uvalde school police chief Arredondo to resign from city council: report

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Uvalde, Texas school police chief Pete Arredondo, who has faced withering criticism for his response to the Robb Elementary School shooting, will step down from city council, he told a local newspaper.

Arredondo was recently elected to the Uvalde city council in Texas, but he told the Uvalde Leader-News that he intends to resign. 

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said in a statement that the city has not received a resignation letter from Arredondo, but McLaughlin called it "the right thing to do."

The school police chief was placed on administrative leave last month. 

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

"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 for District 3," Arredondo told the Leader-News. "The mayor, the city council, and the city staff must continue to move forward without distractions. I feel this is the best decision for Uvalde." 

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"As we continue to grieve over the tragedy that occurred on May 24th, we pray for the families involved and our community," he continued. "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, and definitely, to keep our faith."

People leave the Uvalde Civic Center following a shooting earlier in the day at Robb Elementary School, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. (William Luther/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)

He arrived at Robb Elementary School a few minutes after the gunman entered, but did not bring his radio, and officers took more than 70 minutes to breach the classroom door. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw called the response an "abject failure."

McCraw further said that though officers in the hallway waited for keys to open the classroom door, no one tried to open it. The door was unlocked the whole time, McCraw testified last month.

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Families lashed out during a city council meeting, accusing the local government of not being transparent, but McLaughlin told them, "We don’t have anything."

Fox News' Paul Best contributed to this report.