Uvalde Officers Charged with Failing to Confront Gunman Confronted by Families
Uvalde officers face charges for failing to act during the Robb elementary shooting and were confronted by mourning families
James Alvarado holds signs outside of the Uvalde County Courthouse as he shows his support for the families and victims of the shootings at Robbs Elementary School, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Uvalde, Texas. Former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officer Adrian Gonzales made his first court appearance on charges of abandoning and failing to protect children. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
It’s been a little over two years since the Robb elementary school shooting in Uvalde and the families continue calling for action against the officers who many believe could’ve done more. The 18-year-old shooter killed 19 fourth-grade students and two teachers, while injuring 17 others on May 24, 2022 — it’s considered one of the worst mass school shootings on record. In the wake of the tragedy, many criticized local law enforcement for their lack of immediate action against the gunman, waiting more than an hour on-site before breaching the classroom. Earlier this month, former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales had a procedural hearing attended by family members and friends who shared their anguish. Gonzales and former school district police chief Pete Arredondo, the on-site commander that day, were in the courtroom and this marked the first time they were in close proximity to the families of the victim, NBC News reported. Gonzales and Arredondo were among the nearly 400 law enforcement personnel who responded to the shooting.
“Just to see him [Arredondo] sitting there so smugly, like he didn’t do anything wrong,” was upsetting, Brett Cross, the father of 10-year-old victim Uziyah Garcia, told the publication. He was among the crowd shouting “Coward” at the officers.
Arredondo was indicted by a grand jury on 10 counts of felony child endangerment/abandonment and briefly booked into the county jail before he was released on bond, Uvalde Sheriff Ruben Nolasco told The Associated Press in June of this year. Gonzales, 51, was among the first officers to arrive and has been indicted on 29 counts of abandoning or endangering a child, accused of abandoning his training and not confronting the shooter, even after hearing gunshots as he stood in a hallway. Both Arredondo and Gonzales plead not guilty. Each charge against them carries up to two years in jail if convicted.
“For only two to be indicted, there should have been more because there was a lot of ranking officers during that day that knew what to do but decided not to. But they only got these two,” Jerry Mata, whose 10-year-old daughter Tess was killed, said after the hearing, a local FOX station reported. “We’ll take what we get and we’re just gonna continue fighting for the kids and the two teachers and see it all the way through.”
The shooter was eventually stopped by a Border Patrol tactical team though the 188 BP officers on site also faced criticism for failing to establish command. These are the first charges in Uvalde connected with the law enforcement response to the Robb elementary shooting.
Another hearing was set for Dec. 19.
