Ex‑Uvalde School Officer Says He Has No Regrets After Acquittal on 29 Child‑Endangerment Counts
A Texas jury acquitted former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales on all 29 child‑endangerment counts after roughly seven hours of deliberation, finding he did not criminally fail to confront the 2022 Robb Elementary gunman. Gonzales, who did not testify and whose defense pointed to body‑camera footage and orders from supervisors, said he has no regrets; prosecutors framed the case as enforcing law‑enforcement duties, victims’ families reacted with anger and vowed to keep seeking accountability, and former schools police chief Pete Arredondo remains charged.
📌 Key Facts
- A jury acquitted former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales on all 29 child-abandonment/endangerment counts after deliberating 7 hours, 6 minutes and 30 seconds.
- The trial was moved to Corpus Christi at the defense’s request; Gonzales was the first and so far only officer criminally charged over the Robb Elementary response, while co-defendant and former schools police chief Pete Arredondo remains charged and has not yet been tried.
- Prosecutors argued Gonzales, a 10-year police veteran who had led an active-shooter response course two months before the massacre, 'abandoned his training' and framed the case in closing as a way to 'send a message' that law enforcement must protect children in active-shooter situations.
- The defense emphasized body-camera footage showing Gonzales among the first group of officers entering the 'hallway of death,' argued he never actually saw the gunman, said he followed orders to retreat from his chief, called only two witnesses, and Gonzales did not take the stand.
- Victims' families reacted with anger and determination, citing the broader failure of 376 officers and a 77-minute delay in the response, and said they will continue pursuing other legal and political avenues for accountability.
- In his first interview since the acquittal, Gonzales said he has no regrets, insisted he 'did the best' with the information he had, claimed he was 'handpicked' and selectively prosecuted compared with other responding officers, and said he understands but does not share the families' frustration.
- Coverage noted the case was an active, same-day development as jury deliberations began and that the acquittal is landing in a community already skeptical of official investigations into the May 24, 2022, Robb Elementary shooting.
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 23, 2026
1:57 PM
Former Uvalde school officer says he doesn't regret actions after not guilty verdict
New information:
- Gonzales, in his first interview since acquittal, says he has no regrets about his actions on May 24, 2022, insisting he 'did the best that I could with the information I was getting.'
- He says he retreated from inside Robb Elementary because he was ordered to do so by his chief and frames his conduct as following orders from his commanding officer.
- Gonzales claims he was 'handpicked' and selectively prosecuted compared with other officers whose conduct was not similarly scrutinized, and says he understands but does not share victims’ families’ frustration with the verdict.
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