A jury has found former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales not guilty on 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment connected to the tragic Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24, 2022. The case centered on accusations that Gonzales failed to confront the gunman during the early minutes of the attack, which left 19 children and two adults dead in what the Texas Tribune has described as the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.
Jurors deliberated for roughly seven hours before returning their verdict, bringing an intense and emotional trial to a close. Gonzales did not take the stand in his own defense, and his legal team called only two witnesses.
After the verdict was read, Gonzales appeared relieved and thanked those he felt carried him through the ordeal. “First things first. I want to start by thanking God for this,” he said. He went on to thank his family, his wife, his legal team, and the jurors, saying, “He put them in my path, you know? And I’m just thankful for that. Thank you to the jury for considering all the evidence and making their verdict.”
Defense attorney Nico LaHood said jurors made it clear they struggled with gaps in the prosecution’s case. According to LaHood, the jury told them there were “a lot of gaps in the evidence.” He said they also appreciated how the defense highlighted those gaps during the trial. “They considered everything. They were very diligent. They worked very hard back there. They were very mindful and deliberate,” LaHood said. While jurors ultimately found Gonzales not guilty, LaHood added that they were not unmoved by the tragedy itself. “Obviously they were saddened because they know that the other families are mourning still,” he said.
When asked if he had anything to say to the families of Uvalde victims following the verdict, Gonzales declined, simply responding, “No, not right now.”
The acquittal does not end legal accountability efforts tied to the shooting response. Former Uvalde Schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who oversaw the broader law enforcement response that day and faced intense national scrutiny, has also been criminally charged. Arredondo faces charges of child endangerment or abandonment and has pleaded not guilty. A date for his trial has not yet been set.
The Robb Elementary shooting sparked nationwide outrage over the speed and strategy of the police response, as officers waited more than an hour before confronting and killing the gunman. Investigations, hearings, and community activism have continued long after the tragedy, with devastated families still seeking answers, accountability, and reform.
For now, Gonzales walks away from his charges, while Uvalde continues to wrestle with grief, trauma, and ongoing questions about what could have been done differently on one of the darkest days in the state’s history.