Overview
- After a roughly two-week trial in Corpus Christi, a Nueces County jury deliberated about seven hours before finding Adrian Gonzales not guilty on 29 child endangerment charges tied to the criticized 77-minute response.
- In his first interview after the verdict, Gonzales said he followed a direct order to retreat, asserted he acted appropriately under the circumstances, and claimed he was selectively prosecuted.
- Families of Robb Elementary victims publicly condemned the outcome, saying the decision failed the children and reflected a lack of accountability for the police response.
- The case tested a rare legal theory that an officer’s failure to confront an active shooter constitutes child endangerment, echoing the 2023 acquittal of Parkland school officer Scot Peterson.
- Former Uvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo remains indicted on 10 child endangerment counts and has pleaded not guilty, with no trial date set.