Two former Uvalde school police officers, Pete Arredondo, 52, and Adrian Gonzales, 51, are set to stand trial in October 2025 over their alleged failure to act during the tragic 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Texas. Both men face multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment for their response to the massacre, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers.
At a Uvalde court hearing, Judge Sid Harle denied Arredondo’s request to dismiss the charges, rejecting claims that only the shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was responsible. Arredondo, identified as the incident commander, allegedly failed to follow active shooter training protocols, delaying police response while Ramos “hunted” victims inside a fourth-grade classroom. Instead of confronting the shooter immediately, Arredondo reportedly ordered officers to evacuate a hallway and wait for a SWAT team. The indictment also accuses him of attempting to negotiate with Ramos while children and teachers lay wounded and dying.
Gonzales, one of the first officers on the scene, is also accused of abandoning active shooter protocols despite hearing gunfire. Unlike Arredondo, he has not sought to have his charges dismissed.
The shooting, one of the deadliest in U.S. history, saw nearly 400 officers from federal, state, and local agencies hesitate for over 70 minutes before taking action. The delayed response has been widely condemned, and it is rare for officers to face criminal prosecution following a school shooting.
Families of the victims, including Jesse Rizo, uncle of 9-year-old Jacklyn Cazares, voiced frustration during the hearing. “To me, it’s hurtful and painful to hear Arredondo’s attorneys try to persuade the judge to get the charges dismissed,” Rizo said.
Gonzales’s attorney, Nico LaHood, has called for the trial to be moved out of Uvalde, citing the tight-knit nature of the community. “Everybody knows everybody,” LaHood argued, expressing concerns about impartiality.
With the trial set, the case continues to highlight the accountability of officials in preventing further tragedies.
Link: The Independent