According to the Texas Department of Homeland Security (DPS), Arredondo has not responded to a request for a follow-up interview with the Texas Rangers, who are investigating the shooting at Robb Elementary.
However, Wednesday outside his home, Arredondo told CNN’s Aaron Cooper, “I’m in touch with DPS every day.”
And out of his office minutes later, he told CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz that he would not give any more information while the funeral is underway.
“We will be respectful to the family,” he said. “In the end we will. When this is done and families stop suffering, we will, obviously.”
It is the first time Arredondo has commented on two brief press statements on the day of the attack, in which he said the gunman was dead but gave little information about the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation. He did not ask any questions at that time and has not appeared in a public forum since.
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the attack last Tuesday, and so far officials have not been able to answer important questions about why it took police about 80 minutes to break down two closed classroom doors and confront the armed man.
The school’s police chief was identified last week by the DPS as the commanding officer who decided not to force his way into the rooms, but instead backed down and waited for reinforcements. when the children inside repeatedly called 911 and called for help from the police.
A Customs and Border Protection tactical team finally entered the rooms with the keys of a janitor and shot dead the suspect, DPS said.
DPS director Steven McCraw did not identify Arredondo by his name, but said the boss made the “wrong decision” not to relate to the gunman before. He said the commander decided to treat the situation as a suspicious barricade instead of an active shooter.
The established law enforcement policy, created in the wake of the 1999 Columbine school shooting, calls for police to arrest the gunman as soon as possible in an active shooter situation.
Arredondo was sworn in at the town hall in a secret ceremony
Arredondo was elected to the town hall of Uvalde earlier this month, and a special town hall meeting was scheduled for Tuesday to swear on him and others.
However, Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday in a statement that the meeting “will not take place as planned,” adding that “our focus on Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones.”
Instead, Arredondo swore in private without warning to the media. Although there was no formal ceremony, McLaughlin said council members came to City Hall “at their convenience” during the day to swear in, adding that Arredondo appeared in person to receive the oath. oath and sign the documentation.
“Out of respect for the families who buried their children today, and who plan to bury their children in the next few days, no ceremony was held,” McLaughlin said in a written statement.
In his statement Monday, the mayor said Arredondo was “duly elected” and that “there is nothing in the City Charter, Electoral Code or Texas Constitution that prohibits him from taking the oath of office. “What we know, we don’t know at the moment, of any investigation by Mr. Arredondo.”
In his brief comments on Wednesday, Arredondo said the oath was “a private matter” out of respect for families, and said families are the focus right now.
CNN’s Omar Jimenez and Andy Rose contributed to this report.