Uvalde school officer charged over actions during Robb Elementary shooting set to appear in court
UVALDE, Texas — A former Uvalde school police officer who was part of the slow law enforcement response to the events of 2022 mass shooting at robb elementary school will appear in court for the first time on Thursday.
Adrian Gonzales was one of nearly 400 police officers who arrived on the scene, but when waited more than 70 minutes to confront the school shooter. He will be arraigned in the small Texas town on charges of abandoning and failure to protect children who were killed and wounded. Some families have been pushing for more than two years to have officers charged after 19 children and two teachers were killed in the fourth-grade classroom.
Gonzales and former Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo were indicted by a Uvalde grand jury in June. Arredondo waived his indictment and pleaded not guilty on July 10. Both were released on bail after their indictments.
Gonzales’ attorney called the charges “unprecedented in the state of Texas.”
“Mr. Gonzales believes he did not violate school district policy or state law,” said Nico LaHood, the former district attorney for Bexar County.
Javier Montemayor, listed by the Uvalde county clerk as Arredondo’s attorney, did not respond to phone messages left at his office seeking comment.
The May 22, 2024 attack was one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. The police response has been heavily criticized in stands And federal investigations that reported “a range of deficiencies” in training, communication and leadership among officers who waited outside the building as some victims lay dying or pleaded for help.
Gonzales, 51, was one of the first officers to arrive. He was indicted on 29 counts that accuse him of abandoning his training and failing to confront the gunman even after hearing shots while standing in a hallway.
Arredondo, 53, was the commander on the scene that day. He is charged with 10 felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in state jail. Arredondo failed to identify an active shooter, failed to follow his training and made decisions that delayed police response to stop a gunman who was “preying” on victims, the complaint says.
Terrified students in the classroom called 911 while parents pleaded with officers to enter. A tactical team of officers eventually entered the classroom and killed the shooter.
Both charges against Gonzales and Arredondo could result in up to two years in prison if convicted.
The case is the latest, but still rare, instance of a U.S. law enforcement officer being charged for allegedly failing to act during a campus shooting. The first such case to go to trial was a Florida sheriff’s deputy who failed to confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland shooting. The sheriff’s deputy was acquitted of criminal neglect last year. A lawsuit by the families of the victims and survivors is pending.
Some families of Uvalde’s victims have called for more officers should be charged. Several families have filed federal and state lawsuits against Police, social media and online gaming companies and the gun manufacturer who made the rifle the shooter used.
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Lathan, who reported from Austin, Texas, is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Vertuno reported from Austin, Texas.