Former Uvalde officer Adrian Gonzales acquitted on all counts
A jury acquitted former Uvalde school officer Adrian Gonzales of 29 child-endangerment charges for his response to the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting, sparking grief, debate.
Overview
A Corpus Christi jury found former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales not guilty on all 29 counts of child endangerment after roughly seven hours of deliberation.
Prosecutors said Gonzales abandoned training, failed to act despite being told the shooter’s location by a teaching aide, and thereby endangered 19 killed students and 10 wounded survivors.
Gonzales’ defense said he never saw the gunman, helped evacuate students, entered a dangerous hallway under fire, and was unfairly singled out for broader law-enforcement failures.
Families reacted emotionally in court; some expressed anger and said the acquittal sends the wrong message about accountability, while Gonzales appeared tearful and embraced his lawyers.
The case is among the rare criminal prosecutions of officers over mass-shooting responses; only Gonzales and former chief Pete Arredondo face charges, and Arredondo’s trial remains pending.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this verdict story without overt editorial framing, balancing prosecutorial accusations, defense rebuttals and victims' reactions. They foreground the timeline, quote both prosecutors and defense counsel, note courtroom emotion and official reports (Texas House), and distinguish quoted inflammatory language as source content rather than reporter assertion.
Sources (9)
FAQ
Adrian Gonzales faced 29 counts of child abandonment and endangerment, one for each of the 19 students killed and 10 injured in the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting. Conviction on these state jail felonies could have resulted in 6 months to 2 years in state jail.[1]
Prosecutors argued Gonzales abandoned his training, failed to act after a teaching aide informed him of the shooter's location, waited too long to enter the school, and endangered the children by not intervening.[1]
The defense claimed Gonzales never saw the gunman, helped evacuate students, entered a hallway under fire, acted reasonably with limited information, and was unfairly singled out amid broader law enforcement failures.[1]
Former Uvalde Schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo faces similar child endangerment charges, has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is delayed indefinitely by a federal lawsuit. This is only the second such criminal case against an officer for a mass shooting response, following a 2023 acquittal in the Parkland case.
Families of victims expressed grief and anger, stating the acquittal sends the wrong message on accountability. Gonzales appeared tearful, fought back tears, and embraced his lawyers after the not guilty verdict.
History
3 sources