Jury reaches verdict in trial of ex-Uvalde school police officer accused of failing to confront gunman

A jury returned a not guilty verdict Wednesday evening in the trial of former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales, charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment tied to the May 24, 2022 Robb Elementary shooting.

The jury deliberated for only 7 hours before returning the verdict.

Gonzales faced charges tied to the early minutes of the Robb Elementary attack. Nineteen children and two adults died in the shooting, which is the deadliest in Texas history according to the Texas Tribune.

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His counsel brought up two witnesses to stand in his defense, Gonzales did not take the stand.

Speaking to the press after the verdict was read, both Gonzales and his legal team shared details from their conversation with the jury. 

Defense Attorney Nico LaHood said the jury told them there were "a lot of gaps in the evidence."

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"You can tell, they said there was gaps in the evidence," said LaHood. "They appreciated us bringing out those gaps. They considered everything. They were very diligent. They worked very hard back there. They were very mindful and deliberate." 

"Obviously they were saddened because they know that the other families are mourning still. But they said there was a lot of gaps in the evidence, and some of that didn't make sense to them," LaHood added.

On Gonzales' part, he thanked God, his family, his legal team and the jury after being acquitted.

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

When asked if he had anything to say to the Uvalde families, Gonzales responded "no, not right now."

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Former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo was also criminally charged in relation to the 2022 shooting. He was charged with endangerment or abandonment of a child and has pleaded not guilty. A date for Arredondo's trial has not yet been set.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.