Zach Despart
Texas Tribune
Houston, TX, United States
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Past articles by Zach:
“I’m so scared”: 911 recordings reveal fear and urgency of those trapped in Uvalde elementary school
Audio obtained by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica shows just how long police and dispatchers likely knew that children and teachers were in danger before taking action at Robb Elementary School. → Read More
For Republicans, winning Hispanic voters will be a bigger fight than South Texas
Nearly half of Hispanic Texans live in the state’s five largest counties, a voting bloc Democrats cannot afford to lose as they struggle to compete in the state’s vast rural areas. → Read More
91 Texas state troopers responded to the Uvalde massacre. Their bosses have deflected scrutiny and blame.
State troopers outnumbered local law enforcement 2-to-1 outside Robb Elementary, but the Department of Public Safety has blocked the release of records and carefully shaped the narrative to cast local authorities as incompetent. → Read More
Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo resigns from city council
Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News that he was stepping down from his elected position, citing the need for the mayor, city council and staff to “move forward without distractions.” → Read More
Greg Abbott’s handwritten notes raise fresh questions over who “misled” him about Uvalde shooting response
The nine pages of blue ink on white lined paper, first published by the Houston television station KTRK, show how the governor prepared his remarks for a news conference May 25, the day after the shooting — presumably based on information being given to him. → Read More
Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo defends delay
Criticized by law enforcement experts for slowness in taking out the shooter, Pete... → Read More
Five takeaways from Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo’s interview with The
This week, Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and his attorney granted an exclusive interview to The Texas Tribune to detail his version of what happened inside Robb Elementary School on May 24, when a shooter killed 21 people. → Read More
Waiting for keys, unable to break down doors: Uvalde schools police chief defends delay in confronting gunman
Criticized by law enforcement experts for slowness in taking out the shooter, Pete Arredondo described an agonizing wait for a key that would work. In an interview with The Texas Tribune, he said he hadn’t spoken out sooner because he didn’t want to compound his hometown’s grief or point blame. → Read More
At first meeting since massacre, Uvalde school board takes no action on police chief
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board took no action Friday evening against its embattled police chief, Pete Arredondo, in a special meeting. → Read More
In battered Uvalde, where a police chief is in hiding, grief gives way to calls for accountability
As chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department, it was Arredondo’s call to wait more than an hour for backup instead of ordering officers on scene to immediately charge the shooter. → Read More
NRA convention goers describe a culture under siege after Uvalde
Deflecting blame from guns, attendees said a breakdown in society — including removing... → Read More
This time, Gov. Greg Abbott has few suggestions on how the state might prevent future mass shootings
After previous mass killings during his more than seven years in office, Abbott has pledged that lawmakers and his administration would search for solutions. He made no substantive suggestions Wednesday. → Read More
Here's what Texas Republicans will focus on if Roe v. Wade falls
State leaders say expanding a social safety net for children and prosecuting abortion funders are among their priorities. → Read More
Longoria resigns as Harris County elections chief, takes the blame for bungled primary elections
Hidalgo said some mistakes were due to new rules under SB1, the voting law the... → Read More
Republicans renew calls to fire Harris County elections administrator over primary problems
Republicans in Harris County renewed their calls to fire Elections Administrator Isabel... → Read More
Harris County took more than a day to report Tuesday’s voting results. That may be the new norm.
Harris County was in the only in Texas that failed to report complete election results... → Read More
Why the slow vote count? Harris County elections officials blame the voters.
An unknown number of ballots in Harris County were not read properly by the county’s... → Read More
Scattered rain showers on Monday could develop into isolated thunderstorms in Houston-area
“Thunderstorms will struggle to initiate, but if they do, they will have a chance to... → Read More
2 seriously injured in Waller County skydiving accident
Two skydivers were seriously injured in a skydiving accident Saturday afternoon in Waller... → Read More
Harris County leaders ask for review on 'alarmingly high' rate of mail ballot rejections
Harris County leaders asked the federal Department of Justice to examine the "alarmingly... → Read More