Jury Acquits Former Officer of Charges He Failed His Duty to Confront Gunman in School Shooting

A former police officer was acquitted Wednesday evening of charges he failed in his duties to confront the gunman at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school during the critical opening minutes of what would become one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

Jurors deliberated for more than seven hours before finding former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzalez, 52, not guilty in the first trial over the hesitant law enforcement response to the attack that killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022.

Flanked by his lawyers, Gonzales appeared to be fighting back tears after the verdict was read out in court.

The trial was a rare case in the United States of an officer facing criminal charges on accusations of failing to stop a crime and protect lives. Gonzales had faced the possibility of up to two years in prison if he had been convicted.

The nearly three-week trial included emotional testimony from teachers who were shot and survived. Prosecutors had argued in laying out their case that Gonzales abandoned his training and did nothing to stop or interrupt the teenage gunman before he entered the school.

At least 370 law enforcement officers ultimately rushed to the school, where 77 minutes passed before a tactical team finally entered the classroom to confront and kill the gunman. Gonzales was one of just two officers indicted, angering some victim’s families who had said they wanted more officers held accountable for the law enforcement response.

Gonzales had been charged with 29 counts of child abandonment and endangerment—each count representing the 19 students who were killed and 10 others who were injured.
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