Families of Uvalde Victims Vow to Keep Pursuing Accountability After Officer Adrian Gonzales Acquittal
A Texas jury acquitted former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales on all 29 child abandonment and endangerment counts after about seven hours of deliberation, with the defense pointing to body‑camera footage and arguing he never saw the gunman while prosecutors said the case was meant to enforce law‑enforcement duties; Gonzales did not testify, his team called two witnesses, and the trial was moved to Corpus Christi. Victims’ families reacted with anger and vowed to keep pursuing accountability — citing the broader failure of hundreds of responding officers and the 77‑minute delay — saying they will pursue other legal and political avenues as co‑defendant former schools police chief Pete Arredondo remains charged.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- A Texas jury began deliberations in the criminal case against former Uvalde school officer Adrian Gonzales and, after about 7 hours, 6 minutes and 30 seconds of deliberation, returned a not‑guilty verdict on all 29 counts of child abandonment/endangerment.
- Gonzales was charged with failing to confront the Robb Elementary gunman in the early minutes of the 2022 massacre and was the first — and so far only — officer criminally charged over the law enforcement response.
- The defense called only two witnesses, Gonzales did not testify, and attorneys emphasized body‑camera footage showing him among the first group of officers in the so‑called 'hallway of death,' arguing he never actually saw the gunman before the shooter entered the school.
- Prosecutors noted Gonzales had led an active‑shooter response course two months before the massacre and framed their closing argument as sending a message that law enforcement must fulfill its duty to protect children, saying he 'abandoned his training.'
- The trial was moved to Corpus Christi at the defense’s request; co‑defendant and former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo remains criminally charged and has not yet been tried.
- Victims’ families reacted with anger and vowed to continue pursuing accountability through other legal and political avenues, pointing to the broader failure of the 376 officers who responded and the 77‑minute delay as evidence of systemic problems in the Uvalde response — a town already skeptical of official investigations.
đź“° Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 22, 2026
11:30 PM
Jury acquits Uvalde officer of failing to act during school shooting
New information:
- PBS confirms that former school police officer Adrian Gonzales was acquitted of criminal charges alleging he failed to confront the Robb Elementary gunman in the early minutes of the attack.
- The segment focuses on how the Uvalde community is reacting to the verdict, including victims’ families’ anger and determination to continue seeking accountability through other officers and civil channels.
- Reporter Tony Plohetski provides additional qualitative detail on the trial’s scope — that Gonzales was the first, and so far only, officer criminally charged over the response — and how the acquittal is landing in a town already skeptical of official investigations.
1:22 PM
Families of Uvalde victims react to not guilty verdict in officer case: "We fight to the end"
New information:
- CBS segment focuses on families of Robb Elementary victims reacting to Adrian Gonzales’s acquittal, with some pledging to 'fight to the end' for accountability.
- Relatives highlight the broader failure of 376 officers who responded and the 77‑minute delay, framing the not‑guilty verdict as part of a larger systemic problem.
- Families signal they will continue pursuing other legal and political avenues despite this loss in court.
1:46 AM
Jury reaches verdict in trial of ex-Uvalde school police officer accused of failing to confront gunman
New information:
- Jury returned a not guilty verdict on all 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment against former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales.
- Deliberations lasted about seven hours before the acquittal was announced.
- Article confirms Gonzales did not take the stand and that the defense called only two witnesses in his favor.
- Reiterates that former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo also faces criminal charges related to the 2022 shooting.
1:44 AM
Ex-Uvalde officer acquitted of all charges over his response to Robb Elementary shooting
New information:
- Jury deliberated for 7 hours, 6 minutes and 30 seconds before returning the not‑guilty verdict.
- Prosecutors explicitly framed the case in closing as a way to 'send a message' that law enforcement must fulfill its duty to protect children in active‑shooter situations.
- Defense emphasized body‑camera footage showing Gonzales among the first group of officers entering the 'hallway of death' and argued he never actually saw the gunman before Ramos entered the school.
- Trial was moved to Corpus Christi at the defense’s request because Gonzales’ lawyers argued he could not get a fair trial in Uvalde.
- Gonzales, a 10‑year police veteran, had led an active‑shooter response course two months before the massacre, a fact prosecutors used to argue he 'abandoned his training.'
- Co‑defendant and former schools police chief Pete Arredondo remains charged; his trial has not yet been scheduled.
12:42 AM
Jury deliberating in trial for former Uvalde officer charged over school shooting response
New information:
- Confirms that the Texas jury has formally begun deliberations in the criminal case against the former Uvalde school officer over his response to the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting.
- CBS packages this as an active, same-day development, underscoring that a verdict could come soon.
January 21, 2026