Additional Coverage:
- Jury selected in trial for former Uvalde officer charged in school shooting response (abcnews.go.com)
Uvalde Officer’s Trial Begins: Jury to Decide Accountability in School Shooting Response
Nearly two years after the tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers, a jury has been selected to determine the criminal responsibility of former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales. The trial, held in Corpus Christi, marks a rare instance of a law enforcement officer facing charges related to their response to a mass shooting.
Jury selection, an intensive process lasting over 11 hours, concluded Monday evening with Judge Sid Harle finalizing a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates. The group comprises 11 women and five men. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Tuesday morning, with the trial expected to last approximately two weeks.
Prospective jurors were presented with a two-page questionnaire designed to gauge their familiarity with the Uvalde tragedy, their public comments, and any financial contributions to victims or the community. Crucially, the questionnaire also delved into their “general impression of the law enforcement response” and specifically of Gonzales, as well as any ties to law enforcement through family or close friends. Judge Harle acknowledged the widespread knowledge of the case, emphasizing the jurors’ duty to set aside pre-existing information and fairly decide the matter.
Prosecutors allege that Gonzales, one of nearly 400 officers who responded to the May 24, 2022, rampage, failed to engage the shooter despite being aware of his location, having ample time to act, and possessing active shooter training. It took 77 minutes for law enforcement to ultimately neutralize the gunman, Salvador Ramos, who acted alone.
Victims’ families have consistently sought accountability, arguing that a more rapid police response could have saved lives. This trial represents a significant step in that pursuit.
Gonzales faces 29 felony counts of endangering a child, one for each of the 19 fourth-graders who died and 10 students who survived in classroom 112. The indictment states he “failed to engage, distract or delay the shooter” after hearing gunshots and knowing the shooter’s whereabouts.
Former Uvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo, the on-site commander during the shooting, was also charged with 10 felony counts for allegedly endangering the 10 survivors by delaying the law enforcement response and failing to follow active shooter protocols. Both Gonzales and Arredondo have pleaded not guilty. Gonzales’s trial is proceeding independently, as Arredondo’s case is currently delayed by an ongoing federal lawsuit.
Each count carries a potential maximum sentence of two years in prison, although Texas judges and juries have broad discretion in sentencing. Sandra Guerra Thompson, a criminal law professor at the University of Houston Law Center, noted the potential for longer sentences given the horrific nature of the deaths.
Prosecutors have issued at least 75 subpoenas to potential witnesses, including police officers, teachers, and victims’ families, in preparation for the trial.
The legal strategy employed by prosecutors relies on a child endangerment law typically used for negligent parents or caretakers, an approach rarely applied to police officers. Legal experts, including Professor Thompson and Houston-based defense attorney Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube, highlight the critical need for prosecutors to establish that Gonzales had a legal duty, not just a moral obligation, to intervene and that he failed to adhere to his active shooter training.
Defense attorneys for Gonzales contend he is being unfairly scapegoated for a crime he did not commit, arguing he did everything possible to save the children. Defense attorney Nico LaHood stated, “Those precious souls were stolen by a monster that day, but that monster was not Adrian [Gonzales].” The defense plans to utilize drone footage from Robb Elementary to support their case.
Should prosecutors secure a conviction, it would mark a historic precedent, as it would be the first time a police officer has been held criminally accountable for their actions during a mass shooting response. Phil Stinson, a professor at Bowling Green State University who maintains a database of police arrests, identified only two similar prosecutions since 2005 out of 25,000 arrests.