More than a month after the deadly massacre at an elementary school in the Texas town of Uvalde, the police chief responsible has resigned as a city council member. This is reported by various media.
“I think this is the best decision for Uvalde,” the local newspaper was quoted as saying Uvalde Leader News Police Chief Pete Arredondo. He was sent home on paid leave in his position as police chief more than a week ago.
An 18-year-old gunman shot and killed 19 children and two teachers with a rifle at a school in Uvalde at the end of May. Since the fatal shooting, there has been a lot of criticism of the police officers and especially Arredondo.
It would have taken at least forty minutes for officers to arrive. After that, the police unit would have hesitated too much. It took about 70 minutes before officers finally confronted the gunman and shot him dead. That reported news agency AP earlier.
Arredondo previously told US media that the officers were waiting for a key to the classroom where the gunman had hidden and where students and teachers were present. The officers present would also not have had sufficient weapons and equipment to confront the shooter earlier.
Released video footage showed, however, that officers with automatic weapons and bulletproof shields had been in the school much earlier than said. Security images also show that the officers present never checked whether the classrooms were locked at all. If the officers present had confronted the gunman earlier, they could have saved lives, critics say.
Police officers at a press conference after the Uvalde massacre.
Police officers at a press conference after the Uvalde massacre.
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