(Washington) The former police chief of the Uvalde school district in Texas, in the southern United States, has been indicted for child endangerment more than two years after the shooting at a school in the city , reported several American media on Thursday.
In May 2022, a man armed with an assault rifle burst into an elementary school in Uvalde, killing 19 children aged 9 to 10, and two teachers aged 44 and 48.
In the process, the delay in police intervention to stop the massacre caused anger and incomprehension, with the 19 officers on site awaiting the attack of a specialized unit.
Pete Arredondo, 52, was charged with abandonment and child endangerment, several American media announced, citing judicial sources.
Along with Mr. Arredondo, former school police officer Adrian Gonzales was also named in the indictment, CNN reported.
A prison official declined to comment to AFP and the prison did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In January 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice acknowledged a “cascade of failures” in law enforcement’s response to the shooting.
Following the Uvalde massacre, as well as other killings that shocked the country, the US Congress passed a law establishing new restrictions on gun ownership, the most significant in nearly 30 years, but far short of what President Joe Biden wanted.
In May, the families of the children killed and injured in the massacre reached a two million dollar settlement with the municipality of Uvalde.
