A jury has acquitted former Uvalde, Texas, college police officer Adrian Gonzales for his response to the Robb Elementary taking pictures in Could 2022.
After greater than seven hours of deliberations, the jury returned a not responsible verdict on all 29 counts of kid endangerment.
As the decision was learn, Gonzalez bowed his head as he heard it. A number of of these sitting within the gallery began crying. He hugged his legal professionals, shook arms and gave the impression to be tearing up.
Gonzales was among the many first officers to answer the mass taking pictures, through which 19 college students and two lecturers had been killed. It took 77 minutes earlier than legislation enforcement mounted a counterassault to finish the rampage.
Former Uvalde college district police officer Adrian Gonzales speaks with a court docket officer as they anticipate the jury to reach on the seventh day of Gonzales’ trial on the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, Jan. 14, 2026.
Sam Owens/The San Antonio Specific-Information through AP
Prosecutors alleged Gonzales didn’t comply with his coaching and endangered the 19 college students who died and a further 10 surviving college students.
Every rely carried a most penalty of two years in jail, and Gonzales might have spent the remainder of his life in jail if he was convicted.
Prosecutors claimed Gonzales had a singular alternative to cease the carnage when he arrived and discovered gunman Salvador Ramos’ location from a educating aide. The aide testified that she repeatedly urged Gonzales to intervene, however stated the officer did “nothing” in these essential moments. Prosecutors additionally argued Gonzales didn’t act as soon as he received inside the varsity.
Earlier than jurors had been despatched to deliberate, District Legal professional Christina Mitchell gave an impassioned plea, saying, “I do know this case is troublesome, and it has been troublesome. However we can not proceed to let kids die in useless.”
“What occurred to Uvalde on Could 24 can occur wherever, at any time,” she stated. “If it is going to occur, and if we have now legal guidelines mandating what the accountability of a legislation enforcement peace officer is for a faculty district, then we higher be able to again it up.”
Regulation enforcement works on the scene at Robb Elementary College, web site of a Could 24, 2022 mass taking pictures on Could 25, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.
Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Pictures
Gonzales pleaded not responsible and his legal professionals argued he was unfairly blamed for a broader law-enforcement failure that day.
The protection argued that Gonzales did every part he might in that second — together with gathering crucial data, evacuating kids and coming into the varsity — and stated Gonzales acted on the knowledge he had. The protection additionally highlighted that different officers arrived in the identical timeframe as Gonzales and that not less than one officer had a chance to shoot the gunman earlier than he entered the varsity.
This case marks the second time in U.S. historical past that prosecutors have sought to carry a member of legislation enforcement criminally accountable for his or her response to a mass taking pictures.
In 2023, a Florida jury acquitted Scot Peterson, a former Broward County sheriff’s deputy, who was charged with baby neglect and culpable negligence for his alleged inaction through the 2018 taking pictures at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Excessive College in Parkland, Florida. Peterson’s legal professionals argued his position as an armed college useful resource officer didn’t quantity to a caregiving submit wanted to show baby neglect in Florida, and that the response to the taking pictures was muddled by poor communication.
Former Uvalde Faculties Police Chief Pete Arredondo — who was the on-site commander on the day of the Robb Elementary taking pictures — can also be charged with endangerment or abandonment of a kid and has pleaded not responsible. Arredondo’s case has been delayed indefinitely by an ongoing federal lawsuit filed after the U.S. Border Patrol refused repeated efforts by Uvalde prosecutors to interview Border Patrol brokers who responded to the taking pictures, together with two who had been within the tactical unit answerable for killing the gunman on the college.
It is a growing story. Please examine again for updates.
