Uvalde schools police chief placed on leave amid fierce criticism of school shooting response
The move comes weeks after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary. Uvalde CISD police Chief Pete Arredondo, one of the first to respond, and state officials have provided differing stories about what happened inside the school.
Here’s how Pete Arredondo and other law enforcement differ on what happened during the Uvalde shooting
New information released by law enforcement sources and the director of the Department of Public Safety tells a different story about police response to the shooting than Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo.
Texas judge won’t let prosecutor cancel scheduled execution of John Ramirez
Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez said he is ethically opposed to the death penalty, but an employee wrongfully requested the execution date against his wishes. Gonzalez sought to cancel the execution two days later.
After extremists’ arrests in Idaho, LGBTQ Texans and Pride organizers balance safety with desire to celebrate their identities
Some LGBTQ Texans are trying to navigate plans to commemorate the catalyst of their civil rights movement with concerns about safety after 31 members of a Texas-based hate group were charged with conspiracy to riot at a Pride event in Idaho.
The last hearse travels the final mile: Layla Salazar’s burial ends Uvalde funerals for shooting victims
The unremitting pace of ritualized mourning ended Thursday as the town buried an 11-year-old victim of the Robb Elementary shooting. Survivors now face less structured grief, starting each day knowing they will live it out differently than they should have.
Almost 100 Texas school districts have added their own police departments since 2017, but not everyone feels safer
Officials have called for more armed officers on campuses in the wake of the Uvalde shooting. Experts and some parents, though, say more law enforcement on campus doesn’t necessarily make schools safer.
Greg Abbott’s handwritten notes raise fresh questions over who “misled” him about Uvalde shooting response
The nine pages of blue ink on white lined paper, first published by the Houston television station KTRK, show how the governor prepared his remarks for a news conference May 25, the day after the shooting — presumably based on information being given to him.
Texas-based hate group was behind attempted riot at Pride event in Idaho, authorities say
Authorities say the 31 suspects are part of an extremist group founded in Texas after the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Eight of those arrested Saturday are from North Texas, officials said.
U.S. senators reach deal on gun legislation in aftermath of Uvalde shooting
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, was one of the lead negotiators for the proposal, which would expand background checks for people under 21 and encourage states to enact “red flag” laws. President Joe Biden and House Democrats had wanted to go further.
Five takeaways from Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo’s interview with The Texas Tribune
This week, Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and his attorney granted an exclusive interview to The Texas Tribune to detail his version of what happened inside Robb Elementary School on May 24, when a shooter killed 21 people.
Waiting for keys, unable to break down doors: Uvalde schools police chief defends delay in confronting gunman
Criticized by law enforcement experts for slowness in taking out the shooter, Pete Arredondo described an agonizing wait for a key that would work. In an interview with The Texas Tribune, he said he hadn’t spoken out sooner because he didn’t want to compound his hometown’s grief or point blame.
Federal investigation into law enforcement’s response to Uvalde shooting won’t be criminal, DOJ says
Authorities have been criticized for waiting over an hour to enter the school and confront the shooter. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said law enforcement agencies have promised to cooperate with the federal inquiry.
Some Texas GOP donors urge Congress to act on gun control measures like “red flag” laws, expanded background checks
More than 250 self-declared gun enthusiasts, including donors who have contributed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaigns, have signed on to an open letter supporting Sen. John Cornyn’s efforts at bipartisan gun reform legislation.
Police chief who led the response to the school shooting in Uvalde had no radio at the scene, reports say
The revelation is the latest to point to deficiencies and missteps in authorities’ response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School. Police opted to wait for reinforcements and tactical gear, taking more than an hour to confront and take down the shooter.
A corrido is written for the lost “Angels of Uvalde” as Latino artists begin crafting tributes
Through music and painting, artists have begun works to preserve the lives lost in the Robb Elementary School shooting. “We want them to be monumental,” one artist said. “Because those lives should’ve been monumental.”
In battered Uvalde, where a police chief is in hiding, grief gives way to calls for accountability
As chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department, it was Arredondo’s call to wait more than an hour for backup instead of ordering officers on scene to immediately charge the shooter.
Uvalde school district’s police chief didn’t know about 911 calls coming from inside the school, lawmaker says
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, said the commanding officer at the scene of the shooting was not informed about the calls that Uvalde police were receiving, calling the lack of coordination a “system failure.”
Austin police officers who were indicted over actions during George Floyd protests sue the city
Several demonstrators who participated in the protests in response to George Floyd’s murder were seriously injured when they were struck by police with “less than lethal” beanbag rounds. The officers’ suit says they did not receive training on how to use this type of ammunition.
Gun ownership is ingrained in Uvalde’s culture. Some here are rethinking how it should be regulated.
Longtime Uvalde residents say the city is a hunting mecca and the love for guns goes right along with it. But some would now support measures like raising the age limit to buy AR-style weapons or monitoring high-volume ammunition purchases.
U.S. Justice Department will review Uvalde response as furor mounts over law enforcement actions
The Texas Department of Public Safety previously said local police made key errors. A specialized team of federal officers didn’t enter the school until more than an hour after the shooter arrived at the school.