• Adrian Gonzales was acquitted of all 29 counts of child endangerment by a Texas jury.
• The jury deliberated for approximately seven hours before delivering the verdict.
• Gonzales was accused of failing to act during the Robb Elementary School shooting in May 2022.
• This marks a rare instance of holding a police officer criminally accountable for their actions during a mass shooting.
• This incident highlighted severe criticisms regarding the emergency response by law enforcement.

A Texas jury has found former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales not guilty of all charges related to his response during the 2022 school shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 19 students and two teachers. The jury returned its verdict after approximately seven hours of deliberations, clearing Gonzales of 29 counts of child endangerment. Prosecutors had argued that Gonzales ignored his training and failed to act during critical moments as the shooter entered Robb Elementary School, thus endangering lives, according to abcnews and Reuters.

During the trial, prosecutors presented testimonies asserting that Gonzales was in a position to stop the shooter before entering the school, with some arguing he had ample time to act. Special Prosecutor Bill Turner emphasized that "you can't stand by and allow it to happen", urging the jury to consider the devastation of those lost. However, Gonzales's defense claimed that he acted according to the information available at the moment and that many other officers also failed to confront the shooter promptly, as highlighted by both abcnews and BBC.

The case garnered national attention as it represented one of the few times a police officer faced criminal accountability for a mass shooting response, mirroring prior cases like that of Scot Peterson from the Parkland shooting. Peterson was acquitted on similar grounds of neglect in 2023, which further complicates the discourse on police accountability in emergency situations, according to Reuters, abcnews, and BBC.

This acquittal comes amidst broader criticisms regarding the law enforcement response during the Uvalde incident, where it took police 77 minutes to confront the shooter. Reports indicate major failures in decision-making and tactics, leading to lawsuits and settlements for victims' families, including a $2 million settlement from the city of Uvalde due to the delayed tactical response, according to BBC and Reuters.