UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Uvalde’s embattled district police chief is set to face becoming the first officer to lose his job over the slow and bungled law enforcement response to one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history.
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board will decide Wednesday in a rescheduled meeting from July on Pete Arredondo’s future, three months to the day after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers while hundreds of police officers waited in the hallway of Robb Elementary and outside the campus.
CNN reported the meeting is slated to start at 5:30 p.m. CT, first allowing comments from the public to be heard before going into a closed session to decide Arredondo's possible termination.
Arredondo, who has been on administrative leave since June, has faced heavy criticism for his handling of the May 24 tragedy.
A nearly 80-page report released in July criticized Arredondo for not taking charge of the scene and wasting "precious time" by looking for a key to a likely unlocked door.
The Department of Justice has been reviewing the law enforcement agency's response to the massacre. According to the report, it took nearly an hour after the shooting began for the gunman to be confronted.
Meanwhile, questions remain as Uvalde students are set to begin a new school year on Sept. 6.
School officials say the Robb Elementary campus will no longer be used, stating that classes for the elementary students will take place in temporary classrooms at various campuses in the town.