Thoughts and Prayers do not replace accountability, prevention and intervention.

Texas DPS & Chief Pete Arredondo credibility is cratering and that’s based on their consistent bad information. This is not how you honor the 21 innocent lives taken. The families deserve TRUTH.

Editorial note —if you sense the frustration and rage contained herein, then I’d like to offer a preemptive blanket apology. As is my standard practice, whenever possible I’ll endeavor to provide you with original links to various documents and videos. Because I genuinely believe that my readers are pretty damn smart and consistently offer a different point of view.

Which is something I don’t take for granted. Full disclosure there’s a lot in this article and you might want to break up the reading via the subcategories…or not.

Texas Department of Public Safety (TX-DPS), Uvalde ISD Police Chief Arredondo…and Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughin

To be fair in any breaking news story that facts often change, that’s not a reflection of intentional misinformation or disinformation. It’s just something that you should be aware of. What I’d like to discuss are the Texas DPS and Chief Arredondo. Below is a four minute video clip that I created to help you understand the various misinformation and disinformation coming from law enforcement and elected officials. I attempted to keep any emotion out of the video and if you read below you’ll understand why I created this video. I also embedded every single video that I edited so you have access to the original source (see video description)

“Chief” Arredondo has been MIA (since last Thursday PM) and that is important because a logical inference is TX DPS (and Gov Abbott) likely soley relied upon the misleading, untruthful and inaccurate information from “Chief” Arredondo. To help you fully understand the assertions I’m making, any and I mean any after action report looks at the actions of all law enforcement, especially that of the incident commander, “Chief” Arrendaondo who was “preliminary” interviewed the day of and the day after the shooting by TX DPS. He is the primary source for which Gov Abbott and TX DPS McGraw used to (arguably unintentionally) misinforming the public. See link to Arredondo’s May 24, 2022 initial press conference

May 24, 2022 Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief, Peter Arredondo gives a press conference following the mass shooting that took place at Robb Elementary school that left 14 children dead.

Assuming arguendo that Arredondo is the “source” this actua explains the inexplicable changes in “stories” and in turn both Gov Abbott & TX DPS have taken (rightfully so) serious credibility degradation. My educated guess is Arrendaondo has probably retained counsel who advised him “don’t say or give any info unless I’m with you” at least that’s what any competent attorney would instruct their client

During the May 25th (first) Press Conference TX DOS McGraw stated the following —much of which we later found out to be, at best inaccurate or at worse an intentional misrepresentation of the facts known at the time. And that’s important because public trust in paramount and once you’ve lost the public trust it’s almost impossible to regain it. See link to the original May 25th press conference

“…he was approaching as the governor mentioned earlier there was a brave consolidated independent school district resource officer that approached them engaged them and at that time there was not gunfire was not exchanged but the subject was able to make it into the into the school as the governor reported he went down a hallway turned right then turned left and there was two classrooms ….initially TX DPS stated all law enforcement went in and immediately confronted the gunman…

then on Thursday May 27, 2022 Gov Abbot’s “I was mislead” and “livid” over it and TX DPS McGraw finally admitted the grievous mistake -see original video here almost simultaneously TX DPS Dir McGraw finally admitted the “wrong decision”

As of May 31, 2022 the TX DPS stated on the record that Chief Arredondo has stopped “cooperating” and that their department made several requests to Arredondo to conduct a follow up interview…

On May 31, 2022 Mayor  Don McLaughlin announced that the swearing in ceremony for (the newly and duly elected) Town Council Members, would be postponed. Only hours later he informed the media that the swearing in ceremony took place, but it was a closed/private ceremony.

Based on preliminary research specifically Texas Law (TITLE 6. PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES more specifically CHAPTER 602. ADMINISTRATION OF OATHS) while the statute is largely silent —there’s unquestionably an inference that these ceremonies are open to the public. Which calls into question Mayor McClaughlin’s unilateral decision and potential lawfulness of Chief Arredondo’s swearing in. More on that later. This is the March 22, 2022 Uvalde CISD Police Department... Facebook post, which contains multiple pictures of their “active shooter training”

Also on May 31, 2022 the TX DPS once again mislead the public and only AFTER the teacher’s attorney publicly called TX DPS out for their inaccurate Friday Briefing. Again they only correct their statements after the Teacher’s attorney was interviewed by a local media outlet.

The Mayor & Chief knew -they chose to mislead investigators & the public

There I said it and the world didn’t end. Why? Because the truth and facts always matter. Notwithstanding at this point: the Mayor, the Uvalde Poilce chief, Uvalde ISD-PD chief are playing games and it’s obvious they KNEW about the catastrophic deadly mistake and attempted to cover it up. This is evident in the most unprofessional and unhinged response by Mayor McLaughlin when Beto O’Rouke interrupted the May 25, 2022 initial press conference

At a minimum Arredondo should be criminally charged with gross criminal negligence, child endangerment, violation to the oath of office, obstruction of Justice but then again it’s easy for me to make these assertions. Notwithstanding I do think you should read Texas PENAL CODE TITLE 2. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY CHAPTER 6. CULPABILITY GENERALLY which states in part:

offense unless he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence engages in conduct as the definition of the offense requires.

(b) If the definition of an offense does not prescribe a culpable mental state, a culpable mental state is nevertheless required unless the definition plainly dispenses with any mental element.

(c) If the definition of an offense does not prescribe a culpable mental state, but one is nevertheless required under Subsection (b), intent, knowledge, or recklessness suffices to establish criminal responsibility.

(d) Culpable mental states are classified according to relative degrees, from highest to lowest, as follows:

1. intentional;

2. knowing;

3. reckless;

4. criminal negligence.

(e) Proof of a higher degree of culpability than that charged constitutes proof of the culpability charged.

(f) An offense defined by municipal ordinance or by order of a county commissioners court may not dispense with the requirement of a culpable mental state if the offense is punishable by a fine exceeding the amount authorized by Section 12.23.

Your 2nd Amendment Right should not supersede…our inalienable right to; “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…”

Every Americans first Amendment right —more specifically the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…as properly outlined in our Country’s Declaration of Independence and yet Uvalde proved that an eighteen year old, who can’t even buy alcohol, purchased two AR-15 rifles and thousands of rounds of .223 Ammunition.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

If you are wonder why some of us are focusing on the .223 ammunition —(obligatory trigger warning) well if you understand what .223 ammunition is designed to do —then I’d suggest you watch this YouTube Video. Because the type of damage .223 ammunition does to a human body, it is meant to kill with devastating consequences. And this is confirmed by Dr. Lillian Liao, pediatric trauma medical director at University Hospital in San Antonio recent news interviews. Dr Liao talks about some of the victims had whole pieces of their body missing. I know that fact might be uncomfortable for some of my readers and for that I sincerely apologize (and that’s why I chose to link to the videos versus embedding them) the fact is an AR-15 was originally designed as a “weapon of war” and as many of us have repeatedly stated, in DC v Heller SCOTUS held that “weapons of war” are not protected under the 2nd Amendment…you can read the full SCOTUS ruling here

And to be clear in the early afternoon of May 24, 2022 when I published this article I had no way of knowing what was happening in Uvalde —but like many of you, as News broke about (yet another) mass shooting my initial reaction was:

…wait WHAT? Why did it take over 67 minutes. Please, God tell me that’s an error in reporting. Because anything more than five minutes means an incalculable amount of loss of life…

Below is an actual text message I sent someone last Wednesday about an hour after the horrific news. And with any breaking news story the facts can dramatically change —but many of us instinctively knew that the over 67 minute delay wasn’t just horrific but was an absolute failure.

And sure many will want to lay blame on someone or a police department. The reality is, in April 2022 Chief Arredondo (in his quest to be elected to the City council) platform was “better communication and better transparency” and frankly it’s not our place to say if he should have been sworn in (during a private ceremony after Mayor McLaughlin told the media the swearing in ceremony would be postponed only to later swear Arredondo in “under the cover of night” —that’s a decision that the voters of Uvalde need to make.

FBI Designates 61 Active Shooter Incidents in 2021…a 50% increase from 2020

Moreover the incident commander clearly didn’t know what needed to be done and the reality is the after action report will likely conclude his unilateral decision to consider it a “barricade” situation when in fact it was a real “active shooter” likely means if local law enforcement did what they were trained to do, neutralize the threat then it is more than possible that some of these lives could have been saved. I mean on March 22, 2022 Uvalde’s ISD Police Department conducted an active shooter drill.

On May 27, 2022 Chairwoman Maloney sent letters to gun manufacturers, which reads in part:

Our country faces an epidemic of gun violence, which is now the leading cause of death for children in the United States,” wrote Chairwoman Maloney.  “I am deeply concerned that gun manufacturers continue to profit from the sale of weapons of war, including the AR-15- style assault rifle that a white supremacist used to murder ten people last week in Buffalo, New York, and the AR-15-style assault rifle that was reportedly used this week in the massacre of at least 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. Despite decades of rising gun deaths and mass murders using assault weapons, your company has continued to market assault weapons to civilians, reaping a profit from the deaths of innocent Americans.”

• Bushmaster Firearms Industries, Inc.,

• Daniel Defense, LLC,

• Sig Sauer, Inc.,

• Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., and

• Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.,

Do not get me started on Daniel Defense or the local gun shop where the gunman purchased two AR-15s within 4 days and thousands of rounds of ammunition. While it’s true the murderer legally purchased these guns, the gun shop had a moral and ethical obligation to alert law enforcement or to have a more in-depth conversation with the gunman. Something as simple as a casual conversation asking why he was purchasing two AR-15s and thousands of rounds of ammunition does not seem unreasonable. And perhaps if the gun shop owner had asked probative questions these deaths could have been avoided.

House Judiciary Omnibus Bill H. R. 7910, the "Protecting Our Kids Act"

Tomorrow the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing and then move to mark up H. R. 7910, the "Protecting Our Kids Act" also see H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act - Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute - Nadler

…to provide for an increased age limit on the purchase of certain firearms, prevent gun trafficking, modernize the prohibition on untraceable firearms, encourage the safe storage of fire￾arms, and for other purposes.

Sec. 101. Prohibition on Federal firearms licensee selling or delivering certain semiautomatic centerfire rifles or semiautomatic centerfire shotguns to a person under 21 years of age, with exceptions.

Sec. 102. Operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s public access line.

TITLE II—PREVENT GUN TRAFFICKING

Sec. 201. Prohibition on straw purchases of firearms; prohibition on gun traf￾ficking.

Sec. 202. Prohibition on disposition of firearm to person intending unlawful

further disposition.

Sec. 203. Penalties.

Sec. 204. Firearms subject to forfeiture.

Again the data shows that the exportation of guns to Mexico has been a known gun trafficking problem for years (see 2019 PBS Report) and lastly you can watch tomorrow’s hearing via the embedded YouTube channel, below.

and lastly yesterday I found a sticky note that my former boss left for me in a client file. It was the first time that I didn’t cry when I was reminded of him. In fact I actually chuckled because the running joke is of the >1,200 employees I’m the only one who could accurately transcribed his scribble scrabble. However my other boss gave me until next Friday to set an appointment with a grief counselor. I’m honest enough to acknowledge that this suicide completely shattered me and that I currently do not have the prerequisite tools needed to fully accept his death. But to be candid my spouse, kids, coworkers are concerned. And I’m actually concerned about my own mental well being. I gave myself exactly six weeks to accept his death. Yesterday I gave my other boss my word that I would schedule an appointment with a professional grief counselor —and in an ironic twist of faith my appointment is scheduled for next Friday, nearly six weeks to the date.

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But like I said, I know I’m not in a healthy head space. The reality is I’m tired of being sad and mad —usually simultaneously. The reality is it is in fact adversely impacting both my professional and personal life. So to my readers who encouraged me to seek professional help, I am sincerely grateful for your encouragement to get help. As I’ve said grief is a messy business. Grief doesn’t come with a handbook. Everyone’s process is different. And I truly know it is “okay to not be okay” —but it’s also important to seek professional help when you need it. Again thank you for your words of encouragement and gentle prodding that it might be time for me to meet with a professional grief counselor.

Be Well

Filey