Ex-Uvalde Officer Faces Trial: Examining Accountability in School Shooting Response

Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday in the trial of a former school police officer from Uvalde, Texas. He faces charges for allegedly failing to act during the tragic 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School, which resulted in the deaths of 19 students and two teachers.

Adrian Gonzales has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment related to the incident. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

The charges claim that Gonzales endangered children by neglecting to confront or distract the shooter, thereby deviating from his training. Allegations also state that he did not approach the gunfire, even though he reportedly heard shots and was informed of the shooter’s location.

Inside the school, terrified students called 911, while outside, desperate parents urged officers to intervene. According to The Associated Press, some officers, standing in a hallway, reportedly heard the gunfire. Investigations revealed that 77 minutes elapsed from the officers’ arrival until a tactical team finally breached a classroom and neutralized the shooter, Salvador Ramos.

Adrian Gonzales, previously a school police officer in Uvalde, is depicted on the left. On the right is a memorial commemorating the 19 children and two adults killed in the May 24, 2022, Robb Elementary School shooting. (Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office/AP/Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Gonzales’ defense attorney argues that the officer made efforts to save the children during the crisis. A state review indicated that Gonzales told investigators he assisted in evacuating students from other classrooms once police realized they were still occupied.

Gonzales and former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo are the only two officers to face criminal charges over the response. Arredondo’s trial has not been scheduled. 

Officials monitor a line outside the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, where jury selection begins for the State of Texas v. Adrian Gonzales, a former police officer for schools in Uvalde, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.  (Eric Gay/AP)

At the request of Gonzales’ attorneys, the trial was moved to Corpus Christi after they argued Gonzales could not receive a fair trial in Uvalde. 

The trial is expected to last about two weeks, Judge Sid Harle said. Before seating the jury Monday, he told several hundred potential jurors that the court was not looking for those who know nothing about the shooting but wants jurors who can be impartial. 

Among the potential witnesses are FBI agents, Texas Rangers, emergency dispatchers and school employees. Families of students killed in the massacre are also among those who could testify.

Twelve jurors have been selected for the case, along with four alternates, FOX7 Austin reported.

Crosses with the names of shooting victims are placed outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 26, 2022.  (Jae C. Hong/AP/File)

The outlet added that opening statements are set to begin Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. local time.