Jury selection kicks off for ex-officer accused of failing to protect children during Uvalde school shooting response. Adrian Gonzales, a former police officer in Uvalde, Texas, is facing trial on charges that he failed to properly respond to the 2022 attack at Robb Elementary School.
Gonzales has been charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment, a rare prosecution of an officer accused of not doing enough to save lives. The slow response by law enforcement was widely criticized, and 19 students and two teachers were killed in the attack. Authorities waited over 77 minutes to breach the classroom where the shooter was hiding.
Prosecutors will likely face a tough time proving their case, as juries have been reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction in similar high-profile cases. The acquittal of Sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson in the Parkland school massacre in 2018 is a notable example.
Gonzales' defense team argues that he tried to save children during the attack, and his attorneys successfully moved the trial from Uvalde to Corpus Christi, citing concerns about a fair trial by an impartial jury. The move was not opposed by prosecutors.
The trial is expected to last around two weeks and will involve testimony from FBI agents, rangers with the Texas Department of Public Safety, school employees, and family members of the victims. Nearly 400 officers from state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, but their actions were widely criticized as inadequate.
Gonzales' conviction carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison if convicted. The case has sparked concerns about police training, communication, leadership, and technology, as well as questions about why officers waited so long to engage with the shooter.
The trial comes as Uvalde still grapples with the aftermath of the shooting, which left deep scars on the community. A memorial of 21 crosses and flowers sits near the school sign, and murals depicting several victims can be seen on the walls of several buildings.
Gonzales has been charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment, a rare prosecution of an officer accused of not doing enough to save lives. The slow response by law enforcement was widely criticized, and 19 students and two teachers were killed in the attack. Authorities waited over 77 minutes to breach the classroom where the shooter was hiding.
Prosecutors will likely face a tough time proving their case, as juries have been reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction in similar high-profile cases. The acquittal of Sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson in the Parkland school massacre in 2018 is a notable example.
Gonzales' defense team argues that he tried to save children during the attack, and his attorneys successfully moved the trial from Uvalde to Corpus Christi, citing concerns about a fair trial by an impartial jury. The move was not opposed by prosecutors.
The trial is expected to last around two weeks and will involve testimony from FBI agents, rangers with the Texas Department of Public Safety, school employees, and family members of the victims. Nearly 400 officers from state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, but their actions were widely criticized as inadequate.
Gonzales' conviction carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison if convicted. The case has sparked concerns about police training, communication, leadership, and technology, as well as questions about why officers waited so long to engage with the shooter.
The trial comes as Uvalde still grapples with the aftermath of the shooting, which left deep scars on the community. A memorial of 21 crosses and flowers sits near the school sign, and murals depicting several victims can be seen on the walls of several buildings.
this is such a tough case for everyone involved, not just Adrian Gonzales but also his family & the victims' loved ones... 400 officers showed up to that scene but still it was a tragic outcome 
. I hope justice will be served but I'm worried about how it'll affect the police morale & their willingness to act in such emergency situations 
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. prosecutors are gonna have to work hard to prove their case, coz most juries r like "oh he didn't do anything wrong" kinda vibe 
. i feel bad for the families of the victims tho 
. anywayz, trial's gonna be intense & hopefully justice gets served 
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. The fact that it's taking a trial to hold someone accountable for failing to protect children is just heartbreaking 
. And let's be real, 77 minutes to breach the classroom? That's just crazy talk 
. I don't know how prosecutors are gonna win this case 
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. I'm all for supporting law enforcement, but we need to do better 
. We need better training, better communication, and better leadership 
. This trial is just a step in the right direction, I guess 
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. Will they be able to prove their case? Only time will tell 
. One thing's for sure, though - we need to keep pushing for change and making sure that something like this never happens again 
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. We need to support our law enforcement in their recovery and healing, not just focus on punishing them 
. It's time for us to get real about policing and start prioritizing our communities' safety above all else 
. It's gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out over the next two weeks... fingers crossed for justice 
. I guess you could say their defense is a bit of a 'diagram' – complicated and hard to follow 
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. I hope that during the trial, we can spark some real change in police training and communication 
. And let's not forget about the families of the victims – they deserve justice, no matter what 
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. I mean, we all want to help people in crisis, but this is a big deal 
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. It's not just about police training or tech – it's about how they respond to an emergency 
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. We need to keep talking about how we can do better in situations like this 
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the acquittal in parkland was a big example 
how do they gonna show adrian gonzales tried not do enough to save kids 
2 weeks is a lotta time for one case 
all these families and victims gotta relive it all again 
nearly 400 officers responded to the scene, but they did not do enough 
its like no matter how many times we talk about gun control and police reform, we still have these situations where innocent lives are lost bc of bureaucratic red tape & a whole lot of neglect 
