Families who lost loved ones in the 2022 attack on an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, have sought for nearly four years to hold accountable the police who waited more than an hour to confront the shooter while children and teachers lay dead or wounded in classrooms.
Now one of the first officers on the scene, former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales, is set to stand trial on multiple charges of child abandonment and endangerment. His attorney claims he was focused on helping children escape the building during the crisis.
The trial, beginning this Monday, is one of the last avenues for families to see police accountability following rejections of their gun-control efforts by lawmakers and unresolved lawsuits. Many families have even taken to political office in an effort to seek change, though with little success.
Jesse Rizo, whose niece was among those murdered in the attack, emphasized the deeply personal stakes involved, noting that Jackie Cazares was still alive when rescuers finally arrived.
The proceedings will mark a rare moment in which an officer is held criminally accountable for not acting to stop a crime.
It is particularly poignant for families like that of Irma Garcia, who were left to wonder about the potential lives that might have been saved had police acted more swiftly. Velma Lisa Duran expressed her unresolved grief, saying, What about the other 374? They all waited and allowed children and teachers to die.
The delay in police response remains a devastating critique of law enforcement's actions on the day of the shooting, which took 77 minutes before a tactical team finally confronted the shooter.
Gonzales was indicted two years after the shooting, charged with placing children in imminent danger by failing to engage with the gunman. The indictment alleges he heard gunfire but retreated instead of advancing, a decision seen as a critical failure.
As the trial approaches, families in Uvalde continue to grapple with a divided community and ongoing pursuit of justice through various legal and political means, while grappling with the emotional aftermath of their losses.
The outcome of Gonzales’ trial remains uncertain, mirroring the broader struggle families face in seeking accountability amidst a fraught and painful legacy of the Uvalde tragedy.
