A former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer was acquitted on Wednesday on 29 felony counts of child abandonment and endangerment related to the May 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting.
After seven hours of deliberation, the Corpus Christi jury found Adrian Gonzales not guilty on all counts. Prosecutors emphasized that Gonzales was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene and said he had a mandated duty to “go to the shots.” The former police officer was among several who faced criticism for not entering the building and confronting the shooter.
Gonzales, who faced up to two years in prison if convicted, reportedly appeared to fight back tears as the verdict was read in a courtroom more than 200 miles from Uvalde.
The number of charges stems from the 19 children killed and 10 others injured during the attack, which was the deadliest shooting in Texas history.
During the three-week trial, special prosecutor Bill Turner argued that Gonzales, with decades of experience, abandoned his training when he heard gunfire but failed to immediately confront the gunman.
Defense attorneys Jason Gross and Nico LaHood countered that Gonzales was being used as a scapegoat for a systemic failure involving nearly 400 officers, noting that it took officers 77 minutes to devise a plan to end the rampage.
LaHood said after the verdict that jurors found “a lot of gaps in the evidence” presented by the prosecution.
The jury heard from a teaching aide, surviving teachers, and medical examiners. Gonzales did not take the stand during the trial.
Families of the victims reacted to the acquittal with shock and frustration.
Javier Cazares, whose 9-year-old daughter, Jackie Cazarnes, was killed, said the jury’s decision was another failure for families.
“We had a little hope, but it wasn’t enough,” Cazares said. “Again, we are failed. I don’t know what to say.”
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The case was a rare attempt to prosecute a former officer for a failure to act, echoing a similar acquittal in Florida following the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
While Gonzales was cleared of all charges, former Uvalde Schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo is also facing criminal charges of child endangerment and abandonment. A trial date for Arredondo has not been set.