A jury in San Antonio (Texas) declared on Wednesday former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzalez not guilty for his actions during the shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed. Facing 29 charges for endangering children, Gonzalez was acquitted by the jury's verdict, which came after about an hour of deliberations. The prosecution argued that Gonzalez failed to intervene when he had the chance to stop the gunman Salvador Ramos, despite receiving key information from a teaching assistant, and that his inaction put the 19 deceased students and 10 other survivors at risk. The defense maintained that Gonzalez acted according to the information available at the time, evacuating the children and gathering important data before entering the school. Additionally, it was highlighted that other officers arrived simultaneously and that the responsibility for the operation did not rest solely on Gonzalez. This trial marks the second time in the United States that prosecutors have attempted to hold a law enforcement officer criminally liable for their response to a mass shooting. In 2023, a Florida jury acquitted former sheriff Scot Peterson for his role in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Other Uvalde officers, such as former Chief Pete Arredondo, still face charges related to the events. The police response to the Uvalde shooting also sparked a wave of criticism from civil society. A U.S. Department of Justice report, published in 2024, described the officers' actions as a "failure" and pointed to "systemic failures," as well as a lack of leadership and decisive action.
Ex-police officer linked to Uvalde shooting acquitted of all charges
A San Antonio jury found former school officer Adrian Gonzalez not guilty. He was accused of inaction during the tragedy that killed 21 people. This is the second such case in the United States.
