• Texas

San Antonio, Texas, Jan 21 (EFE).-

A jury on Wednesday found former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales not guilty on all 29 counts related to his response to the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed, according to court proceedings and media reports.

Gonzales, who faced 29 felony charges of child abandonment and child endangerment, was acquitted after jurors deliberated for more than seven hours in Corpus Christi, Texas, where the trial was moved to ensure a fair hearing.

Prosecutors argued that Gonzales failed to act despite having an opportunity to stop the gunman, Salvador Ramos, alleging he did nothing to confront him even after receiving information that could have allowed intervention.

“We’re expected to act differently when talking about a child that can’t defend themselves,” special prosecutor Bull Turner said during closing arguments, according to U.S. media.

The defense said Gonzales acted reasonably under chaotic circumstances, that he never saw the shooter when he arrived at the school, and that his training and situational limitations should be considered.

Attorneys also noted that Gonzales assisted with evacuations and that other officers were present who might have had a better chance to intervene, according to reporting on the trial.

The 29 counts represented each of the 19 children who died and the 10 other victims who were injured during the attack. If convicted, Gonzales could have faced up to two years in state jail on each count.

The trial was one of the first criminal prosecutions in the United States seeking to hold a law enforcement officer personally accountable for alleged failures in the response to a mass shooting. Gonzales’ acquittal follows the 2023 acquittal of a Florida deputy tried in connection with the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo, who also faces charges of abandoning or endangering a child in relation to his role in the Uvalde response, still has a trial pending, authorities said.

The broader law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary shooting drew national criticism and led to state and federal reviews that labeled the actions of officers at the scene as deeply flawed, citing failures in leadership, training and communication. EFE

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