A judge in Texas rejected a bid this week by the former Uvalde Schools police chief who sought to dismiss charges brought against him following the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting.
Pete Arredondo argued that he was wrongly charged, placing blame on the shooter for endangering victims during the May 24, 2022, school attack that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Arredondo claimed he was made a scapegoat for the delayed police response. Despite nearly 400 law enforcement officers arriving at the scene in rural South Texas, it took over 70 minutes to confront and fatally shoot the gunman inside a fourth-grade classroom.
Judge Sid Harle issued the ruling during a hearing in a Uvalde courtroom and scheduled the trial for October 20, 2025. Several family members of the victims were present but left without speaking to reporters.
Arredondo has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of abandoning or endangering a child, charges that each carry a penalty of up to two years in jail. He and former Uvalde schools officer Adrian Gonzales are the only officers to face charges for their actions that day.
The indictment accuses Arredondo of failing to follow active shooter protocols and making crucial decisions that delayed the police response as the gunman “hunted” his victims.