Former Yuvalde TX Principal Reveals Why Gunman Didn’t Stop

Uvalde, Texas (Nexstar) — Pete Arredondo, the former police chief of the Uvalde CISD, told investigators his priority was to save students and staff in other classrooms at Robb Elementary School, which had already broken into 19 classrooms. He said he was not going to stop the gunman who killed two students and two teachers.

Arredondo told investigators on May 25, the day after the massacre, that the decision was made after the shooters entered two classrooms. According to a video interview obtained by CNN,A bemused officer said a crucial decision was made after seeing children in other classrooms.

“When I realized it was happening, my first thought was that I needed to move out,” Arredondo told officials at the Texas Department of Safety. Did – I know this is scary and I know our training tells us to – but we’re accommodating him. There are probably some dead over there.”

In a video interview, Arredondo explains that he believed the children in the classroom were already dead based on the gunshots.

The children and teachers in Rooms 111 and 112 were left alone, and Arredondo’s decision to call for the shooters to be treated as barricaded objects instead of active shooters was a major blow on May 24. It will be one of your failures. Survivors and several victims were left to bleed for over an hour, along with the gunmen.

At least three of the 21 victims, two children and a teacher, were still alive during the 88 minutes the police waited to break into the classroom. Children who called 911 It describes a victim bleeding in a classroom and calling law enforcement for help.

Arredondo’s decision required responders to “isolate, distract, and incapacitate” the shooter, usually “putting themselves in danger and performing an act of unusual courage to save an innocent person.” Failure to follow active shooter protocol telling officers that they must “show”.

Arredondo completed three active shooter trainings, according to Texas Commission of Law Enforcement records.

New information about his actions that day also reveals that although Arredondo heard the gunman reloading his weapon, he took no action to stop the gunman.

“I think he reloaded. I know he did something with it. I heard it one time, but I don’t know if there was a second,” Arredondo told investigators. .

Was Arredondo in command on May 24?

Arredondo was fired from the school district in August 2022.

A few days after the shooting, DPS director Stephen McCraw said Arredondo was the designated incident commander at the scene and has since shared responsibility for the day’s failure. Through his attorney, the former school police chief never considered himself the commanding officer of the incident, nor did he give instructions that police should not attempt to enter the building.

Furthermore, in June Interview with KXAN Partner, The Texas TribuneArredondo told the Tribune:

Body camera footage obtained by CNN refutes this.

At about 12:08 p.m., Arredondo told officers in the hallway, “We’re going to clear this building before we commit a violation.” before committing any infringement. “

According to the footage, and his own admission to investigators the day after the shooting, Arredondo was giving instructions on the day of the tragedy.

In a video body cam video obtained by CNN, he went on to say: I know there are probably children there, but I have to save the lives of other children. “