UVALDE, Texas — Over the past two years they've spoken out along streets, inside City Council chambers, outside police headquarters. Carrying signs and using loud voices, they memorized and chanted the names of those they believed should be held accountable for the deaths of 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde on May 24, 2022.
The name that rang loudest and most often in the weeks after the attack on Robb Elementary School: Pete Arredondo. The then-police chief for Uvalde CISD served as incident commander of what has been repeatedly cited as a failed law enforcement response to the mass shooting. He told the Texas Tribune in an interview he didn't think he was the incident commander for law enforcement; the Texas Department of Public Safety said otherwise, adding he made the decision to treat the situation as a "barricaded suspect" instead of an active hostage situation.
He was fired by the district a few months later, but community members continued calling for more severe punishment.
On Thursday – 765 days after losing their loved ones in the worst attack of its kind in Texas history – loved ones of Robb victims got their first taste of that sought-after accountability when a grand jury returned criminal indictments against Arredondo and another former district police officer, Adrian Gonzales. They were charged with injury to a child, an offense punishable by prison time.
For those with the most intimate connections to the tragedy, it represented an initial brick on the path the justice that they've been working to lay.
They also said they hoped that path wouldn't end with Arredondo and Gonzales.
“To finally see that the grand jury has taken that first step in holding someone accountable is the right step in the right direction," said Jesse Rizo, whose niece Jacklyn "Jackie" Cazares died at Robb. “I’m hoping there’s going to be more to come. It's the one path that leads to closure."
Outside the Uvalde County jail where Arredondo was to be brought, the father of another victim, Uziyah Garcia, stood holding the same sign he carried when he first protested the lack of accountability more than two years ago. On it read the words: "Their blood is on Pete's hands.'"
"It still rings true to this day," said Brett Cross, who has remained one of the most outspoken Uvalde residents in the months since the shooting.
Cross was waiting to catch a glimpse of Arredondo. But he was nowhere to be found Thursday.
"They don't even make him walk out like every other person that is charged with anything," he said. "Why is he able to not be held to the same standard that everybody else is? What is so special about him? He let children die."
In a statement, Uvalde CISD officials said they learned about the indictments at the same time the community did.
"We have no information separate from what is being reported by the media," the statement went on to say. "As we have done and continue to do, we extend our sincerest sympathies to all who lost loved ones. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this challenging situation."
Rizo said he expects they'll be leaning on the community as another difficult stage in their pursuit begins.
"The months that are going to be following here are going to be very hard. You become numb where you want to crawl into a space, crawl into a hole. As hard as it is to face these things, the only way you get through them is through your family, friends and support of the town."
Pain remains
A small group of the 21 families of Robb victims met with the Uvalde County district attorney Thursday morning. Not everyone had the opportunity to learn about the charges that way.
"My guess is everyone was making arrangements to meet with her," said Berlinda Arreola, the grandmother of shooting victim Amerie Jo Garza. "But the news broke before everyone could meet with her."
Families say the indictments didn't mark a happy occasion. According to many, it resurfaced painful emotions.
"You just can't be happy about things like this," Arreola added. "Other lives are being ruined because of this tragedy. We all know who the person is to blame; we know that, we understand that. But a lot of lives could have been saved had they gone in immediately (to confront the gunman), especially since they were first on scene."
What did come as a shock, however, was who got indicted first.
With families focusing their early efforts in demanding accountability on Arredondo, Gonzales has received minimal backlash for his actions at the school by comparison.
"I actually saw him that day as we were pulling children out," Arreola said. "He was literally 10 feet in front of me helping pull children out of the building. We were helping children get where they needed to go. I had no idea Mr. Gonzales was even in the building."
Joining Arredondo and Gonzales at a chaotic scene at Robb were 376 law enforcement officers from various agencies. The overwhelming majority were federal and state law enforcement, and though a handful of officers have been fired since Robb, none had been criminally charged until now.
"I think it's gonna send a strong message to Arredondo, it's gonna send a strong message to other school districts and law enforcement agencies that immunity doesn't always protect you," Rizo said. "Immunity isn't something you can hide with and behind."
More meetings between loved ones of Robb victims and the district attorney are scheduled for Friday. Families hope more indictments will be on the way.
"There’s still 374 other officers that did nothing while our children died," Cross said. “I hope to hell that there are (other indictments). This is a good start, but there needs to be more. There needs to be a whole lot more.”
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