A former school police officer in Uvalde, Texas, who was involved in the delayed response to a major school shooting, has been accused of failing to safeguard children from the assailant. Adrian Gonzales, who responded to the 2022 attack at Robb Elementary, faces 29 charges of child abandonment or endangerment, marking a rare instance of an officer facing legal action for alleged inaction during a crisis.
Gonzales, who has pleaded not guilty, asserts that he made efforts to protect children during the tragic incident. The jury selection process commenced on Monday, overseen by Judge Sid Harle, with 12 jurors and four alternates chosen after assessing their knowledge of the event and their impartiality.
It took law enforcement authorities 77 minutes to enter the school after arriving at the scene, where the teenage shooter claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers. Gonzales and former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo were among the initial responders and are the only officers facing criminal charges related to the incident. The indictment against Gonzales alleges that his actions, or lack thereof, put children at risk of harm by not engaging with the shooter or following proper active shooter protocols.
The trial, expected to span approximately two weeks, will feature testimonies from various witnesses, including FBI agents, Texas Rangers, school staff, and victims’ family members. The prosecution faces a challenging task in securing a conviction, as juries often exhibit reluctance to hold law enforcement officers accountable for inaction during critical situations.
In response to concerns over a fair trial, Gonzales’s legal team successfully relocated the proceedings to Corpus Christi, around 320 kilometers away from Uvalde. Despite the move, the community continues to grapple with the aftermath of the tragic events, with visible memorials paying tribute to the lives lost at Robb Elementary. Family members of the victims remain committed to seeking justice and ensuring that the impact of the tragedy is not forgotten.