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The criminal trial of former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officer Adrian Gonzales opened this week with emotional testimony, sharp legal clashes, and a dramatic pause after unexpected witness statements raised questions about prosecutorial disclosure.
Gonzales is charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment for his alleged failure to act during the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School that killed 19 children and two teachers. Prosecutors argue Gonzales arrived on campus while the teenage gunman was still outside the building and had an opportunity to distract or engage him before the shooting began.
Special prosecutor Bill Turner told jurors Gonzales, a veteran officer with active-shooter training, had a duty to intervene. “When a child calls 911, we have a right to expect a response,” Turner said.
Defense attorneys countered that Gonzales acted based on limited and chaotic information, radioed for help, and assisted with evacuations as other officers arrived. “This isn’t a man failing to act,” defense attorney Jason Goss said. “He did what he could with what he knew at the time.”
The trial took a dramatic turn on its first day when former Robb Elementary teacher Stephanie Hale testified that she saw the gunman approaching the school from the south side of the campus — the same area where Gonzales was positioned. Defense attorneys immediately objected, arguing the testimony differed from Hale’s prior statements to investigators and had never been disclosed to them.
Judge Sid Harle excused the jury and questioned prosecutors about the discrepancy, halting testimony for the day. The defense warned the issue could rise to the level of a Brady violation — a serious legal breach involving the failure to disclose exculpatory or material evidence — and raised the possibility of a mistrial.
Hale’s testimony was otherwise harrowing. She described teachers ushering students into classrooms, turning off lights, and preparing to defend children with scissors if the gunman entered. She later learned some students had quietly grabbed safety scissors to mirror their teachers’ actions.
Jurors also heard audio from frantic 911 calls made by students trapped inside classrooms. Family members of the victims sat in the courtroom as the recordings played, some visibly shaken.
Investigations into the Uvalde shooting later found that nearly 400 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded, yet more than 77 minutes passed before officers breached the classroom and killed the gunman. Multiple state and federal reviews cited failures in leadership, communication, training, and decision-making.
Despite those findings, Gonzales and former Uvalde CISD police chief Pete Arredondo are the only officers criminally charged. Arredondo’s trial has not yet been scheduled.
Gonzales’ trial was moved to Corpus Christi, TX, after a judge ruled he could not receive a fair trial in Uvalde. Legal experts say convictions in cases involving alleged police inaction remain rare, with juries often reluctant to hold officers criminally responsible.
Judge Harle is scheduled to meet with attorneys Wednesday afternoon to determine how to proceed. The jury is expected to return Thursday.