Former Uvalde School Police Officer Heads to Trial Over Alleged Failure to Protect Children [WATCH]

A former Uvalde school police officer is scheduled to stand trial beginning Monday on charges that he failed to protect children during the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, as reported by The New York Post.

Adrian Gonzales, who served as an officer with the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police department, faces 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment.

The charges stem from allegations that Gonzales did not take appropriate action to confront the gunman while children and teachers were under attack inside the school.

Jury Selection Begins Monday in Trial of Uvalde School Officer Adrian Gonzales

First criminal charges for the 2022 Robb Elementary response—faces 29 counts of child endangerment.

Historic case on law enforcement accountability starts in Corpus Christi.https://t.co/xCLgwgxSS5 pic.twitter.com/2V80IVg10P

— The Dallas Express News (@DallasExpress) January 5, 2026

The trial, which begins with jury selection, is expected to last up to three weeks. If convicted, Gonzales faces up to two years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.

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His attorney has said Gonzales attempted to help save children during the incident.

The May 24, 2022, shooting left 19 students and two teachers dead. The gunman, Salvador Ramos, was killed after a tactical team breached the classroom more than an hour after law enforcement first arrived.

Investigations later found that 77 minutes elapsed between the initial police response and the confrontation with Ramos.

Nearly 400 officers from local, state, and federal agencies responded to the school. Gonzales and former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo were among the first officers on the scene.

They are the only two officers to face criminal charges related to the law enforcement response. Arredondo’s trial has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment against Gonzales alleges that he placed children in “imminent danger” by failing to engage, distract, or delay the shooter and by not following his active shooter training.

Prosecutors allege he did not advance toward the sound of gunfire despite hearing shots and being told where the shooter was located.

A former school police officer who was part of the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 mass shooting in #Uvalde, Texas, pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child endangerment and abandonment. #AdrianGonzales was among the nearly 400 law enforcement personnel who responded… pic.twitter.com/ZXcldOeBRg

— Court TV (@CourtTV) January 2, 2026

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement officials and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said police acted swiftly and that their response saved lives.

That account was later contradicted by evidence, including 911 calls from students inside the classroom and testimony from parents who said they begged officers to enter the school.

State and federal reviews of the response cited major failures in training, communication, leadership, and equipment.

According to a state review, Gonzales told investigators that once police became aware students were in other classrooms, he assisted with evacuations.

Some family members of victims have said additional officers should face criminal charges.

Velma Lisa Duran, whose sister Irma Garcia was one of the two teachers killed, said, “They all waited and allowed children and teachers to die.”

Legal experts note that prosecutors face a significant challenge. Juries have historically been reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction.

After the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting, Sheriff’s Deputy Scot Peterson was charged for failing to confront the gunman but was acquitted by a jury in 2023.

At the request of Gonzales’ defense attorneys, the trial was moved roughly 200 miles southeast from Uvalde to Corpus Christi. They argued he could not receive a fair trial in Uvalde. Prosecutors did not oppose the move.

Uvalde, a town of about 15,000, continues to bear visible reminders of the tragedy. Robb Elementary remains closed, with memorials nearby honoring the 21 victims. Murals and public tributes remain throughout the community.

Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jackie was killed in the shooting, said family members plan to attend the trial despite the distance.

“It’s important that the jury see that Jackie had a big, strong family,” Rizo said.

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