A Texas jury on Wednesday acquitted a former Uvalde school district police officer of all criminal charges stemming from his actions during the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, a verdict that drew anguished reactions from victims’ families and renewed debate over police accountability in active shooter situations.
The jury found Adrian Gonzales, a former officer with the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police department, not guilty on 29 counts of child endangerment or abandonment. Gonzales was the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the school while the 18-year-old gunman was still outside. The shooting left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Prosecutors argued that Gonzales failed to follow his active shooter training and did nothing to stop the attacker in the crucial early moments, despite having time and information that could have prompted intervention. They said his inaction contributed to the prolonged delay before officers confronted and killed the shooter, which occurred 77 minutes after the first shots were fired.
The defense countered that Gonzales did not see the gunman when he arrived and instead focused on evacuating students and assessing the chaotic scene. Attorneys said it was unreasonable to expect perfect decision-making in such circumstances and warned that criminally prosecuting officers for split-second judgments could discourage police from acting at all.
Gonzales, who pleaded not guilty and did not testify in his own defense, declined to address victims’ families after the verdict. He was visibly emotional in court as the decision was read by Judge Sid Harle following just over seven hours of jury deliberations. Gonzales had faced up to two years in jail and fines of up to $10,000 per count if convicted.
Inside the courtroom, family members of the victims wept quietly as the acquittal was announced, while relatives of Gonzales embraced one another. Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece was killed in the attack, said the verdict sent a troubling message about accountability when officers fail to stop violence.
The case was only the second criminal prosecution in U.S. history against a school police officer accused of failing to act during an active shooter event. In the first, a Florida jury acquitted a school resource officer in connection with the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Prosecutors called 35 witnesses over three weeks, while the defense presented two. Jurors heard testimony from teachers, parents, officers and experts, as well as a recorded interview in which Gonzales acknowledged he made a “mistake” and described waiting for backup.
Gonzales was indicted in 2024 along with former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo, who has also pleaded not guilty. Arredondo’s case remains pending.
Source: CNN