Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas capturing to hitch City Council

The police chief who reportedly made the decision not to immediately send officers into Robb Elementary College to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's Metropolis Council just three weeks in the past after working on a platform of communication and outreach to the neighborhood. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, stopped at the least 19 officers from breaking into the school as the gunman opened fireplace for no less than an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the kids weren't under an lively threat, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Friday. 

“From the advantage of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the correct determination. It was a improper choice. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw said at a news conference. “There have been plenty of officers to do what needed to be completed, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed extra equipment and more officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In keeping with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no energetic threat, so instead of sending officers in, he spent time finding keys that would let him into the school. During this time, nonetheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the assault. Nineteen college students and two lecturers were killed.

Arredondo was not present among regulation enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw didn't explicitly title him.

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

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

After working as the police captain at the United Unbiased Faculty District in Laredo, Texas, about 140 miles south of Uvalde, Arredondo returned to his hometown in April 2020, when he accepted the place of chief of police for the Uvalde college district, in keeping with the Uvalde Leader-News.

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

Arredondo instructed the Leader-News that he was desperate to serve the neighborhood, saying he was dedicated to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he can be leading. 

“We want to make sure that we are available wherever we're needed,” Arredondo informed the newspaper.

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

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

“I’m very excited, I'm ready to hit the bottom working. I've loads of ideas, and I definitely have loads of drive,” Arredondo informed 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 News Digital, based mostly in Chicago.