NUECES COUNTY, Texas — The first day of trial in the Robb Elementary School shooting case concluded Tuesday inside the Nueces County Courthouse, as families of the victims confronted the painful memories of May 24, 2022, nearly four years after the tragedy that killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde.
Former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officer, Adrian Gonzales, faced a jury for the first time. Gonzales is charged with 29 counts of child endangerment and abandonment for his alleged failure to act during the 77-minute law enforcement response to the shooter.
Families traveled from Uvalde to Corpus Christi for the proceedings, many arriving early Tuesday morning, walking hand in hand into the courthouse surrounded by loved ones.
For Jesse Rizo, the uncle of 9-year-old victim Jackie Cazares, the wait for justice has felt unbearable.
“It seemed like an eternity,” Rizo said. “You can’t sleep at night, thinking about all the details you may hear.”
The family of Jackie Cazares described the last several years as a painful waiting period that continues inside the courtroom — each hearing reopening deep wounds. Just moments before entering the courthouse, Rizo and his wife, Juanita, paused to reflect on their niece.
“The memory of their niece still fresh in their hearts,” Rizo said, describing Jackie as a little girl “full of joy and love.”
“She was also embracing, always loving, always hugging,” Rizo expressed.
That love, he said, is what gives his family the strength to keep returning to court, even when it feels overwhelming.
“As much as it is difficult for us to be here today, I cannot imagine how difficult it is for them to try to survive, to try to live,” Rizo said. “That’s what the human instinct does. It tells you to fight back, push back, do something. It keeps on going.”
Among the families arriving Tuesday was Velma Lisa Duran, the sister of fallen teacher Irma Garcia, who was killed while trying to protect her students during the shooting.
Duran said she is listening closely as the trial unfolds, hoping for accountability.
“Adrian could have stopped him,” Duran said. “If he’s the first one that was there, he could have stopped him. How can this happen? I can’t wait to hear how he’s going to defend himself. I can’t wait to hear his opening statement.”
For Duran, this moment is also about ensuring the world remembers the teachers who ran toward danger, putting their students’ lives ahead of their own.
“I am so happy that finally three and a half years later, something is happening,” Duran said. “But why didn’t anybody say anything about the teachers? Not one of y’all said anything about my sister.”
Duran said the loss of her sister has turned into a mission, a demand for change.
“This is still happening, all these mass shootings, and the protection of these laws is disgraceful,” Duran mentioned. “Things have to change.”
As the trial moves forward, families tell KRIS 6 News they will continue showing up, carrying grief, hope and a determination to see justice served.
The trial is expected to continue for nearly two weeks.
