Former Uvalde School Police Officer Reflects on Acquittal and Personal Struggle
Adrian Gonzales, the former Uvalde school district police officer who was found not guilty for his actions during the 2022 mass shooting, has opened up about the profound personal consequences he now faces. In an emotional interview with WFAA following the verdict, Gonzales revealed that the aftermath has forced him to leave the town where he was born and raised, describing the experience as a continuous "struggle" for himself and his family.
A Verdict and Its Aftermath
The trial centered on Gonzales's response to the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School, which resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers. Prosecutors argued that Gonzales failed to adhere to his active shooter training protocols. In contrast, his defense team contended that he experienced "tunnel vision" while searching for the perpetrator, initially misidentifying a teacher's aide as a threat. They emphasized that once he located the shooter, Gonzales moved toward the danger.
"I did the best that I could with the information that I was getting," Gonzales stated during the interview. "And if you've never been in a situation like that, you can sit here and tell me all you want about what I would have done or what you would have done. Until you're in that mix, you can't tell me anything different."
Victim Families Express Anger and Grief
Reaction to the not-guilty verdict from the families of the victims was swift and filled with anguish. Jazmin Cazares, who lost her 9-year-old sister Jackie in the shooting, shared a poignant letter on Instagram directed at Gonzales, labeling him a "failure." Her words painted a harrowing picture of her sister's final moments, imagining Jackie's fear, confusion, and physical pain as she awaited help that did not arrive in time.
Brett Cross, father of 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, another victim, expressed a sentiment of grim expectation regarding the outcome. In a TikTok video posted after the verdict, Cross asserted, "Those jurors represented Texas, and what Texas just told everyone is our kids don't matter. What Texas just told everyone is that your kids don't matter. That they will always choose the cop over children."
A Life Upended in Uvalde
Gonzales, who spent five decades living in Uvalde, detailed his deep roots in the community. He worked as a teacher, a coach, and a police officer, describing his work with children as a lifelong "passion." Now, that connection has been severed. "I understand what the families are going through," he told WFAA. "It's hard. If I tell them anything, I know it's not gonna make them feel any better, but this is a struggle for me, for my family, to get up and leave. It's hard."
He somberly added that he feels he can "never go home" again, a statement that underscores the permanent rift created by the tragedy and its legal proceedings.
Legal Context and Calls for Healing
During the interview, defense attorney Nico LaHood, who sat beside Gonzales, acknowledged the shared pain within the community. "You're praying for them still," LaHood said, to which Gonzales responded, "I'm still praying for them. Every day when I go to work, I pray for them and their families, and not just them but the community."
LaHood further noted, "We can't ignore the fact that there are some families that their children are never going to go home either. So there's pain to go around, and that's why I said the community needs to heal."
This case is part of a broader legal response to the Uvalde shooting. Pete Arredondo, the former police chief for the Uvalde school police, has also been charged with child endangerment related to the incident. He has entered a not-guilty plea, and a trial date for his case remains pending.
