Tearful Uvalde Parents Demand School Board Fire Top Cop for Botched Response to Mass Shooting

Tearful Uvalde Parents Demand School Board Fire Top Cop for Botched Response to Mass Shooting
A man holds a "Fire Pete Arredondo" sign at the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District meeting in Uvalde, Texas, on June 20, 2022. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times
Charlotte Cuthbertson
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UVALDE, Texas—“We were failed by Pete Arredondo,” Brett Cross, guardian of Uziyah Garcia, a Robb Elementary fourth grader who died in the May 24 mass shooting at the school, told the Uvalde, Texas, Consolidated Independent School District board on June 20.

“He killed our kids, teachers, parents, and city, and by keeping him on your staff, y’all are continuing to fail us.”

Cross joined about 120 Uvalde residents at the school board meeting, with several speaking publicly and pleading for the board to fire or at least suspend Arredondo, the school district’s police chief.

“Having Pete still employed, knowing he is incapable of decision-making that saves lives, is terrifying,” Cross said, adding that he has four other children at local schools.

Arredondo, the onsite incident commander at Robb Elementary, instructed police officers to not pursue and engage suspect Salvador Ramos, reportedly due to the belief that the active shooter situation had evolved into a barricaded subject scenario.
Pete Arredondo, chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (L), speaks at a press conference while Superintendent Hal Harrell looks on, following a mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
Pete Arredondo, chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (L), speaks at a press conference while Superintendent Hal Harrell looks on, following a mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

Police officers were inside the school building within two minutes of Ramos gaining entry through an unlocked door, but didn’t stop him until 77 minutes later, according to a timeline provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

DPS Director Steven McCraw told a Texas Senate panel on June 21 that police officers could have stopped Ramos “three minutes” after he entered the school because there “was a sufficient number of armed officers wearing body armor to isolate, distract, and neutralize the subject.”

McCraw also said the door of the classroom where the massacre occurred couldn’t have been locked from the inside.

“The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering room 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander, who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children,” he said.

Uvalde residents attend a Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District meeting, in Uvalde, Texas, on June 20, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
Uvalde residents attend a Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District meeting, in Uvalde, Texas, on June 20, 2022. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

In a tearful speech, the father of victim Amerie Jo Garza called for accountability.

“It’s pretty clear what everyone wants here. We all know that they messed up. We all know that this wasn’t handled right,” he said.

“Most of these parents don’t want to be here. But we’re here because we have to speak for our children, because they can’t speak for themselves anymore.

“I had officers from the department look me in the eye—because I was trying so hard to get in there—and ask me to trust them,” Garza’s father said.

“How are we supposed to continue our lives here, knowing that those people that are supposed to protect us let down our family?”

Jesus Rizo Jr. said he was at the school board meeting to talk about accountability on behalf of friends and family.

“The thing that I can’t wrap my mind around is—how is Mr. Arredondo still with the program?” he said. “How is he still employed? It’s an insult to injury, these people are in pain, and you allow this to happen.”

People visit a makeshift memorial for the 21 victims of an elementary school mass shooting in the town square in Uvalde, Texas, on May 29, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
People visit a makeshift memorial for the 21 victims of an elementary school mass shooting in the town square in Uvalde, Texas, on May 29, 2022. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times
At the first school board meeting about 10 days after the May 24 shooting, the board chose not to take any action against Arredondo.
Arredondo was also sworn in as a Uvalde city councilman on May 31 in a closed ceremony, after being elected two weeks before the massacre. The council’s agenda for its June 21 meeting includes an item to “consider granting a leave of absence from future council meetings to Councilman Pete Arredondo.”

“The children that didn’t make it—we don’t hear their voice anymore, but I promise you one thing: We will speak for them. You will hear their voice through us until accountability takes place,” Rizo said.

Javier Cazares, father of 9-year-old Jacklyn Cazares, who also was killed in the mass shooting, questioned the board about its documented school safety and security measures, which he said were insufficient at Robb, including the perimeter fencing, security cameras, and door security.

A makeshift memorial at Robb Elementary School is filled with flowers, toys, signs, and crosses bearing the names of all 21 victims of the mass shooting that occurred on May 24, in Uvalde, Texas, on May 27, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
A makeshift memorial at Robb Elementary School is filled with flowers, toys, signs, and crosses bearing the names of all 21 victims of the mass shooting that occurred on May 24, in Uvalde, Texas, on May 27, 2022. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

The 16-year-old daughter of slain teacher Irma Garcia spoke about the loss of both parents, as her father died from a heart attack two days after his wife was killed.

“I need you to know that the horrifying manner in which my mother was murdered and taken from us completely shattered our hearts, but made my dad’s stop,” Lyliana Garcia said.

Garcia, one of four siblings, said Father’s Day, two days prior to the board meeting, was the first of many “lonely family occasions.”

The family had also been looking forward to celebrating their parents’ wedding anniversary on June 28.

“The table we sat at with absolute joy and laughter is now quiet and holds two empty seats,” Garcia said.

“The knowledge of being orphaned at such a young age is inconceivable. These are the consequences my family has to suffer due to the lack of due diligence.”

Garcia finished by sharing her 12-year-old sister’s question.

“She said, ‘My mom died protecting her students, but who was protecting my mom?’” Garcia said. “This will always haunt me and should always haunt all of you.”

Lyliana Garcia after speaking to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board at a meeting in Uvalde, Texas, on June 20, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
Lyliana Garcia after speaking to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board at a meeting in Uvalde, Texas, on June 20, 2022. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

Monica Saiz-Martinez heard every gunshot on May 24 as she was working at Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home, across the road from Robb Elementary. She said she and coworkers directed fleeing children to the funeral home for shelter during and after the massacre.

Saiz-Martinez said she had tried to contact the school several times prior to May 24 because she had concerns over security, especially a main gate that was often left open.

“On a couple of occasions last year, towards the end of the school year, there were some bailouts in the vicinity of Robb school. One that resulted in a high-speed chase that caused a wreck in the same canal Salvador Ramos crashed in,” she said.

“I called the school on several occasions hoping to get an answer as to why this gate was open. My attempts failed when no one answered my calls.”

Uvalde had been having problems with high-speed chases of smugglers’ vehicles transporting illegal aliens through town. Often the driver would stop and the vehicle’s occupants would flee from law enforcement, known as a bailout.

In a previous interview, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin told The Epoch Times that local schools had gone into lockdown 48 times in the spring of 2021 because of high-speed vehicle pursuits and bailouts of illegal aliens.

Saiz-Martinez said that because of the bailouts near the school, district police should have had security at the gate.

“Had there been security at this gate, I truly believe the shooter would not have entered Robb school and these children would be here with us today,” she said.

The Texas Senate is holding two days of hearings beginning June 21 to hear testimony on school safety, police training, social media, mental health, and firearms safety.

Charlotte Cuthbertson
Charlotte Cuthbertson
Senior Reporter
Charlotte Cuthbertson is a senior reporter with The Epoch Times who primarily covers border security and the opioid crisis.
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