Uvalde school shooting trial: Jury finds Gonzales 'not guilty' on all 29 counts

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - After nine days of testimony and a trial that reignited the painful memories of the May 2022 Robb Elementary School massacre, a jury has reached a verdict in the case of former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales.

Gonzales, the first officer to face criminal charges in connection to the response that day, was charged with 29 counts of abandoning or endangering a child.

The verdict

What they're saying:

The jury, which received the case just after noon on Wednesday following closing arguments, has found Gonzales not guilty on all counts.

Following the verdict, the court held a press conference to discuss the decision. During the conference, Gonzales spoke for the first time in the trial. 

"I want to start by thanking God for this. And my family, my wife. And these guys right here," Gonzales said, motioning to his defense counsel. "He put them in my path, you know, and I'm just thankful for that. Thank you, the jury, for considering all the evidence and making that verdict. Thank you."

Later in the conference, Gonzales said his plan going forward was simply, "Picking up the pieces and moving forward. That's it."

What's next:

The other officer charged in the police response is Pete Arredondo. His trial has yet to be scheduled.

Family of two victims on the ‘not guilty’ verdict

The other side:

FOX 4’s Casey Stegall was given statements from two of the victim’s family members following the ‘not guilty’ verdict. 

Jesse Rizzo is the uncle of 9-year-old Jackie Cazares, one of the 19 victims killed at the school in May 2022. The statements read: 

"Although we respect the jury, we disagree with the verdict.  A not guilty verdict sends the wrong message to officers. That is, you can stand by and allow children to be murdered, and you will not be held accountable.  Absolute devastation and injustice."

Another statement provided to FOX 4’s Casey Stegall was from Berlinda Arreola, the step-grandmother of 10-year-old Amerie Jo Jarza, another student killed at Robb Elementary School. Her statement reads as follows:

"There are no winners. We have ALL lost, including Adrian. He may have been found not guilty, but he will never escape May 24th. He will ALWAYS be known as the Cop who failed our loved ones."

Closing arguments

The final day of the trial began at approximately 9 a.m. with specific instructions from the judge to the jury. Prosecutors used their final moments to reiterate that they believe Gonzales failed to follow his active shooter training, which dictates that officers must move toward the sound of gunfire to neutralize a threat.

"As citizens, we have the right to expect that when we call for help, we have the right to expect somebody that has put on the badge and put on a gun and put protect and serve on the side of their car will do that when we call," said Special prosecutor Bill Turner.

The state argued that by failing to act, Gonzales endangered the lives of the 19 students who were killed and 10 others who survived the attack. "This case isn't about handing out participation trophies," prosecutors told the jury, emphasizing that the former officer’s inaction had lethal consequences.

"If it's appropriate to stand outside hearing 100 gunshots while children are being slaughtered, that is your decision to tell the state of Texas and by the same time if that is not appropriate. That is not how we expect officers that are charged with the duty of protecting children to act," said Turner.

Conversely, the defense team maintained that Gonzales was being used as a scapegoat for a systemic failure involving nearly 400 responding officers. 

"The government has decided the power of the state has decided that he has to pay for the failures of that day, for the mistakes of that day and all the pain of that day," said defense attorney, Jason Goss.

Defense attorney, Jason Goss, argued that the memory of the lives lost will not be honored by convicting Gonzales. He said a guilty verdict could impact how law enforcement responds to these situations moving forward.

"We can't have law enforcement feel that way, feel like they are not perfect if they don't make a perfect decision. That's where they’ll end up. There's nothing that's going to bring these children back. There's nothing that will solve that pain not that," said Goss.

They argued that Gonzales did the best he could with the information he had, claiming he radioed for help and assisted with evacuations.

Trial Highlights: 10 days of testimony

The trial featured 36 witnesses for the prosecution and a defense that rested after just one day. Key moments that shaped the trial included:

• Survivor Testimony: Arnulfo Reyes, a teacher in classroom 111, gave testimony about playing dead to survive while all of his students were killed. Another teacher, Elsa Avila, recalled the moment she was shot and how her fourth-grade students tried to comfort her.
• The Training Conflict: Retired Dallas officer Michael Witzgall, who trained Gonzales, testified that the goal of training is to keep a gunman moving away from "soft targets" like schools. The defense countered that charging in alone would have put officers at a "higher risk."
• Bodycam Evidence: Jurors were shown body camera footage from various officers, providing a first-person view of the 70-minute delay before the tactical team finally breached the classroom.
• Emotional Outbursts: The trial was twice threatened by a mistrial. Once due to a "discrepancy" in a teacher's testimony, and again after the sister of a victim was escorted out following an emotional outburst in the galley.

Throughout most of the proceedings, Gonzales remained stoic. However, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, he appeared to wipe away tears for the first time as a medical examiner and Dr. Cherie Hauptmeier detailed the horrific wounds sustained by the children.

Gonzales ultimately declined to testify in his own defense before his legal team rested their case on Tuesday.

Read more:

• Jury selected for trial of Uvalde officer charged with child endangerment
• Uvalde school shooting trial closes for day; set to resume Thursday
• Uvalde school shooting trial: Judge denies mistrial motion after 'discrepancies' in teacher's testimony
• Uvalde shooting trial: Judge tosses teacher’s emotional testimony
• Uvalde shooting trial: Mother of victim testifies as prosecution of former police officer continues
• Surviving teacher testifies in 2nd week of Uvalde school shooting trial
• Uvalde School Shooting Trial: Judge threatens mistrial after courtroom outburst
• Uvalde shooting trial: Former officer appears to wipe tears as witness describes wounds
• Uvalde school shooting trial: Court recesses early Thursday for juror emergency
• Uvalde school shooting trial: Testimony continues as state prosecutes ex-police officer
• Uvalde school shooting trial: Both sides rest, Adrian Gonzales declines to testify

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