First of two, assuming no plea deals or late-in-the-day dismissals.
Former Uvalde schools police Officer Adrian Gonzales was among the first officers to arrive at Robb Elementary in 2022 after a gunman opened fire on students and teachers. Gonzales’ criminal trial — the first over the delayed law enforcement response to one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history — is set to begin Monday.
Prosecutors allege that instead of rushing in to confront the shooter, Gonzales failed to take action to protect students. Many families of the 19 fourth-grade students and two teachers who were killed believe that if Gonzales and the nearly 400 officers who responded had confronted the gunman sooner instead of waiting more than an hour, lives might have been saved.
The trial in Corpus Christi is a rare case in which a police officer could be convicted for allegedly failing to act to stop a crime and protect lives.
[…]
Gonzales was charged with 29 counts of child endangerment for those killed and injured in the May 2022 shooting. The indictment alleges he placed children in “imminent danger” of injury or death by failing to engage, distract or delay the shooter and by not following his active shooter training. The indictment says he did not advance toward the gunfire despite hearing shots and being told where the shooter was located.
Each child endangerment count carries a potential sentence of up to two years in prison.
State and federal reviews of the shooting cited cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology and questioned why officers from multiple agencies waited so long before confronting and killing the gunman, Salvador Ramos.
Gonzales’ attorney, Nico LaHood, said his client is innocent and public anger over the shooting is being misdirected.
“He was focused on getting children out of that building,” LaHood, said. “He knows where his heart was and what he tried to do for those children.”
Jury selection in Gonzales’ trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 5 in Corpus Christi, about 200 miles southeast of Uvalde. The trial was moved after defense attorneys argued Gonzales could not receive a fair trial in Uvalde.
Gonzales, 52, and former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo are the only officers charged. Arredondo was charged with multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment. His trial has not been scheduled, and he is also seeking a change of venue.
Prosecutors have not explained why only Gonzales and Arredondo were charged. Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell did not respond to a request for comment.
I remember Pete Arredondo – I suspect most of us do – but I don’t remember the name Adrian Gonzales, and I don’t see anything in my archives related to him. I guess we’ll learn about him and his role in this together. As the story notes, it is unusual for law enforcement officers to be criminally charged in this fashion, but everything about the Uvalde massacre was weird and upsetting. My guess is that if Gonzales gets off then the charges against Arredondo may get dropped, and if Gonzales gets convicted Arredondo will be very interested in a plea deal. We’ll see.
UPDATE: Opening statements have been made.