UVALDE, Texas — A former police officer with the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting is slated to be arraigned on Thursday.
Adrian Gonzales was indicted on 29 felony counts of abandoning and endangering a child for his alleged actions on May 24, 2022, when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
Gonzales failed to engage the assailant after hearing gunshots and being informed of the shooter’s general location, according to the indictment.
He’s also accused of failing to follow active shooter training.
Nearly 400 law enforcement officers responded to Robb Elementary. It took more than an hour for law enforcement to kill the gunman.
Pete Arredondo, the former Uvalde CISD police chief, waived his arraignment on July 15, pleading not guilty to 10 counts of abandoning and endangering a child.
As a result, the terminated ex-police chief will not appear in court on July 25.
Brett Cross, father of Uziyah Garcia, one of the children killed at Robb Elementary, has been fighting for change and accountability since the beginning.
“A lot of people need to be held accountable,” Cross said. “Seeing as Adrian Gonzales literally passed by the shooter and did nothing to stop him, I don’t even know why he’s even doing this, he should have just pled guilty and did his time.”
Jesse Rizo, uncle of Jackie Cazares, who also serves on the Uvalde CISD Board of Trustees, is hopeful some form of justice will one day come out of the courtroom.
“Him (Gonzales) showing up that day facing the music, facing the parents, facing the survivors that are going to be there, the community and to able to be judged, it’s a step in the right direction,” Rizo said.
Citing safety concerns, law enforcement plans to close streets around the Uvalde County Courthouse beginning July 24 and reopen them by noon the following day.
Gonzales is expected to plead not guilty, according to his San Antonio-based attorney Nico La Hood.