Adrian Gonzales, a former Uvalde, Texas school police officer, appeared in court on Thursday to plead not guilty to charges related to the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. This incident, which resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers, sparked outrage and calls for accountability from the victims’ families.
Gonzales, along with former Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo, was indicted by a grand jury in June. Arredondo also entered a not-guilty plea in a previous court appearance. Both individuals were released on bond following their indictments.
The slow law enforcement response to the shooting has been heavily criticized, with reports of “cascading failures” in training, communication, and leadership among officers who waited outside the building while victims were in need of help. Gonzales, who was among the first officers to arrive at the scene, is facing 29 charges for allegedly failing to confront the shooter despite hearing gunshots.
Arredondo, who was the on-site commander that day, is charged with 10 state jail felony counts of endangering a child. He is accused of not identifying the active shooter, failing to follow training protocols, and making decisions that impeded the police response to stop the gunman.
The indictments of Gonzales and Arredondo mark a rare instance of law enforcement officers being charged for their actions during an on-campus shooting. Prior to this case, a sheriff’s deputy in Florida faced similar charges for not confronting the perpetrator of the Parkland massacre in 2018. The deputy was acquitted of felony neglect last year, and a lawsuit by the victims’ families and survivors is ongoing.
In addition to the criminal charges, several families of the victims have filed lawsuits against law enforcement agencies, social media platforms, online gaming companies, and the gun manufacturer responsible for the weapon used in the shooting.
The community in Uvalde, Texas has been deeply affected by the tragedy at Robb Elementary School, and the legal proceedings surrounding the case are expected to continue as the families seek justice for their lost loved ones. The outcome of this trial could set a precedent for the accountability of law enforcement officers in similar situations across the country.
