The Uvalde school police chief skipped an emergency city meeting about the massacre — and the mayor says they haven't spoken in over a week

• The Uvalde school police chief skipped an emergency city council meeting about the school shooting.
• Mayor Don McLaughlin said he could comment on why Pete Arredondo was not at Tuesday's meeting.

The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police chief who delayed the tactical response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24 skipped an emergency city council meeting about the massacre on Tuesday.

Uvalde, Texas, Mayor Don McLaughlin said during Tuesday's meeting that he would not comment on why police chief Pete Arredondo, who was sworn in as a Uvalde city council member on May 31, was not in attendance.

He added that he hadn't spoken to Arredondo in over a week and said he did not reach out to Arredondo personally to see if he wanted to participate Tuesday's meeting.

"Pete Arredondo was elected by the people in his district," McLaughlin said. "It is up to his district and his people and Mr. Arredondo to what he wants to do."

Arredondo was elected onto the city council three weeks before the Robb Elementary shooting but wasn't sworn in until after the massacre. McLaughlin said there was no ceremony held for Arredondo out of respect for the families of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the shooting.

The mayor said that there have been "missteps" in law enforcement releasing information about the shooting to the public, pointing to the false narrative that a teacher propped a back door of the school open with a rock.

"We want facts and answers like everybody else," McLaughlin said. "We will be transparent when it comes out."

McLaughlin said he asked the district attorney's office for briefings on the investigation but that even he is not privy to the information since he is not law enforcement.

He added that he has not asked Arredondo about the investigation.

"I'm not going to speak to Pete Arredondo," McLaughlin said when asked if he is confident Arredondo will be a good council member. "He'll have to speak for himself."