The trial of a former Uvalde school police officer was dramatically interrupted on Tuesday by the emotional outburst of a victim's sister, who directly challenged the defence's key tactical argument.
Courtroom Outburst Challenges Police Narrative
During witness testimony, Velma Duran began screaming from the gallery about the death of her sister, Irma Garcia, a 48-year-old fourth-grade teacher killed in the Robb Elementary shooting on May 24, 2022. The incident left 19 students and two teachers dead after law enforcement waited over an hour to confront the 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos.
The outburst came as the defence for former officer Adrian Gonzales presented its case. Gonzales now faces 29 felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child – one for each child killed and each survivor in the two connected classrooms.
Duran lost her composure as a sheriff's deputy explained the term 'fatal funnel', a tactical scenario where officers have minimal cover to engage a suspect. Defence lawyers argue Gonzales followed his training by not immediately sending officers through the classroom door.
'You know who went into the fatal funnel? My sister went into the fatal funnel,' Duran yelled at the court.
Unlocked Doors: A Central Point of Contention
Duran continued, shouting about the critical fact that classrooms 111 and 112 were both unlocked during the attack. This contradicts initial statements from officers on the scene and has been confirmed by subsequent investigations from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the US Department of Justice.
'Y'all are saying she didn't lock her door. She went into the fatal funnel,' Duran declared. 'She did it.'
Prosecutors have focused intensely on the accessibility of the doors. Initial claims they were locked were used to partly explain the 77-minute delay in confronting the shooter. However, video evidence shows the gunman entering freely, and former school police chief Pete Arredondo was seen trying numerous keys without checking if the door was actually locked.
In this trial, Gonzales's defence has admitted the doors were unlocked. Surviving teacher Arnulfo Reyes testified that the door to room 111 was unlocked and had a faulty latch, and the connecting door to room 112 was also open, as was common practice for teachers to share resources.
Aftermath and Legal Proceedings
The tragedy for the Garcia family deepened when Irma's husband, Joe Garcia, died of a heart attack just two days after his wife was killed, leaving their four children orphaned.
Judge Sid Harle called Duran's outburst 'very unfortunate' and had her removed from the courtroom. He instructed the jury to disregard her comments and warned that further disruptions could lead to a mistrial.
Gonzales has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers argue he did not cause the victims' deaths and that the state's portrayal of inaction is inaccurate, noting he and other officers took incoming fire. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison for each of the 29 felony counts.
