CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Prosecutors and defense attorneys rested their cases Tuesday in the trial of a former Uvalde school police officer charged in connection with the 2022 Robb Elementary School massacre that claimed 21 lives.
Adrian Gonzales, who served as a school police officer during the May 24, 2022 attack, faces 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and could face up to two years in prison if convicted.
After more than a week of testimony, prosecutors called a state investigator as their final witness. The state has argued that Gonzales failed in his duty to protect students and staff during the critical first minutes of the attack, when an 18-year-old gunman entered the school and killed 19 students and two teachers.
Over nine days of testimony, jurors heard emotional accounts from teachers who survived the attack. They described the terrifying moments as the shooter moved through the school. Prosecutors also presented graphic photographs from inside the classrooms and called police officers to testify about the chaotic emergency response.
Gonzales' defense team began presenting their case by calling a witness who worked across the street from the school. The woman testified that she saw the shooter ducking between cars and attempting to stay out of view - testimony that could support Gonzales' claim that he never actually saw the gunman during those crucial first minutes.
The May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School became one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. The law enforcement response has faced intense scrutiny, with critics arguing that officers waited too long before confronting the gunman.
Gonzales is among the few law enforcement officers to face criminal charges in connection with the response to the shooting. According to Judge Sid Harle closing arguments are set for Jan. 21.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
