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Adrian Gonzales, a former police officer for Uvalde schools, has pleaded not guilty to charges of abandoning and failing to protect children during the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.
What’s the deal: At his first court appearance yesterday, Adrian Gonzales pleaded not guilty to 29 charges of abandoning and failing to protect children during the Robb Elementary mass shooting. Prosecutors argue he ignored his active shooter training, which required him to take immediate action upon hearing gunshots.
What his lawyers are arguing: Nico LaHood, an attorney for Gonzales, said his client “feels he’s innocent. He feels all he did was try to show up to help those children. [Despite the] justifiable, righteous anger in this situation, we have not seen or even heard of a theory of why Mr. Gonzales is being singled out.”
The other officer charged: Pete Arredondo, the former Uvalde school police chief, has also been indicted on ten counts of felony child endangerment for his response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. He is accused of failing to identify the event as an active shooter situation, not setting up a command post, not unlocking classroom doors, and not providing the necessary tools for breaching the classroom. Arredondo’s lawyer, Javier Montemayor, stated, “These allegations against Mr. Arredondo, and law enforcement in general, are unprecedented in Texas and unfounded.”
More on the response: A DOJ report revealed that 377 law enforcement officers, including local police, state troopers, and federal agents, were present at the scene. Despite this large presence, officers waited 77 minutes before confronting and neutralizing the shooter.
Anger from families: Victims’ families argue that more ranking officers failed in their duties and have pushed for additional charges. They have filed a lawsuit against over 90 officers, the Uvalde School District, the former Robb Elementary principal, and Arredondo. A separate $2 million settlement with the city of Uvalde includes a pledge for improved officer training.
More on the shooting: The Uvalde school shooting occurred when a gunman entered Robb Elementary School and opened fire, resulting in the deaths of 19 children and 2 teachers. In addition to the 21 fatalities, 17 children were injured.
