The trial of a former Uvalde school police officer, charged over his actions during one of America's deadliest school shootings, began this week in a landmark case for police accountability.
A Rare Prosecution for Police Inaction
Opening statements were set to begin on Tuesday 6th January 2026 in the trial of Adrian Gonzales, a former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District officer. He faces 29 felony counts of child abandonment or endangerment for allegedly failing to protect pupils during the attack at Robb Elementary School on 24th May 2022. If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison.
This prosecution is highly unusual, as juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction. A similar case followed the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school massacre, where sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson was acquitted in 2023.
The Allegations and the Scene of the Tragedy
Gonzales was among the first officers to respond to the shooting, where a teenage gunman killed 19 students and two teachers. A damning investigation found that 77 minutes passed from the time authorities arrived until a tactical team breached the classroom and killed the shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos.
The indictment accuses Gonzales of placing children in "imminent danger" of injury or death by:
- Failing to engage, distract, or delay the shooter.
- Not following his active-shooter training.
- Not moving toward the gunfire despite hearing shots and being told the gunman's location.
His attorney has stated Gonzales tried to save children that day and told investigators he helped evacuate students from other classrooms once police realised they were still present. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Broader Fallout and a Changed Venue
Gonzales and former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo are the only two officers to face criminal charges, despite nearly 400 law enforcement personnel converging on the school. This has caused significant upset among the victims' families, some of whom may testify.
State and federal reviews cited major failures in training, communication, leadership, and technology during the response. The trial, moved to Corpus Christi after Gonzales's lawyers argued he could not get a fair hearing in Uvalde, is expected to last two weeks.
Judge Sid Harle told potential jurors the court sought impartial individuals, not those unaware of the widely reported tragedy. The witness list includes FBI agents, Texas Rangers, dispatchers, and school employees.
This case places a spotlight on the legal and moral duties of first responders and could influence future standards for police conduct during mass casualty events.
