SAN ANTONIO — A former police officer with the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting pleaded not guilty to all charges Thursday morning.
Adrian Gonzales was indicted on 29 felony counts of abandoning and endangering a child for his alleged actions on May 24, 2022, when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
Gonzales failed to engage the assailant after hearing gunshots and being informed of the shooter’s general location, according to the indictment. He’s also accused of failing to follow active shooter training.
"We have not seen any evidence that would lead us to believe that Mr. Gonzales is guilty of these charges," attorney Nico LaHood said. "All he did was show up and try to help those children."
Nearly 400 law enforcement officers responded to Robb Elementary. It took more than an hour for law enforcement to kill the gunman.
"He feels he's innocent and he doesn't understand why this attention is directed at him," LaHood said.
Dozens of family members who lost loved ones in the shooting attended the Thursday arraignment.
Javier Cazares has been fighting for his daughter, Jacklyn, for the past two years. She was one of the 19 children killed at Robb.
"You saw how he walked in with no care in the world. I heard somebody say he was smiling inside," Cazares said. "He didn’t have the guts to face us. That shows his character right there."
Pete Arredondo, the former Uvalde CISD police chief, waived his arraignment on July 15, pleading not guilty to 10 counts of abandoning and endangering a child. As a result, the terminated ex-police chief didn't appear in court on Thursday.
Gonzales' next hearing is set for Sept. 16 at 1:30 p.m.