Embattled Uvalde Police Chief Not Aware Kids Were Calling 9-1-1 During Massacre, Democratic Lawmaker Claims

Pedro Arredondo

Pedro Arredondo, the Uvalde school district’s top cop, was reportedly unaware children were calling for help during last week’s massacre at an elementary school.

Distressed calls from fourth graders, who were stuck in a barricaded classroom with a homicidal madman, never made their way to the now-city councilor.

Last Tuesday, an armed gunman entered Robb Elementary School where he carried out the deadliest school shooting in Texas history. Nineteen children and two teachers died.

Officers waited almost an hour outside the door and failed to confront the shooter as part of the botched law enforcement response to the mass killing.

Arredondo, who was in command at the scene, is under fire for not ordering 19 police officers outside the classroom to enter and kill the shooter.

Local cops in Uvalde claimed in the days after their response came under scrutiny they believed they were dealing with a barricaded subject, and no one was in the classroom with the killer.

But while the officers waited, numerous 9-1-1 calls were placed by children alone with an armed 18-year-old.

The teen was killed when a Border Patrol tactical unit breached the door and opened fire. Arredondo has found himself a target of blame for the scope of the tragedy

According to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D), Arredondo never knew children were calling for help.

The Associated Press reported Gutierrez is blaming a “system failure” on responsible for a delayed response, and not just Arredondo.

“I want to know specifically who was receiving the 911 calls,” Gutierrez said during a Thursday press conference.

The state lawmaker said he did not know if the officers in the hallway were aware of the 9-1-1 calls, but added there is plenty of blame to go around.

“There was error at every level, including the legislative level. Greg Abbott has plenty of blame in all of this,” he said.

With regard to Arredondo, Gutierrez said the Uvalde schools police chief was simply unaware anyone was alive in the classroom.

Gutierrez said, “He’s the incident commander. He did not receive [the 9-1-1 calls].”