A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The first criminal trial related to the law enforcement response in the Uvalde school shooting has ended in an acquittal. Texas Public Radio's Camille Phillips was at the courthouse in Corpus Christi on Wednesday night when the verdict came in.
CAMILLE PHILLIPS, BYLINE: Family members of the 19 children and two teachers who were killed in the shooting lined the seats of the courtroom to hear the verdict. When they heard, not guilty, many burst into tears. The defendant, former school police officer Adrian Gonzales, also wiped away a tear. He was the first officer to arrive on the scene of the May 2022 shooting. Prosecution charged him with 29 counts of child endangerment. Outside the courthouse afterwards, parents continued to sob. Nearby, Javier Cazares, the father of 9-year-old victim Jackie Cazares, said he was angry.
JAVIER CAZARES: We had to prepare for the worst. I mean, we had a little hope, but that wasn't enough.
PHILLIPS: Jackie's uncle Jesse Rizo said the verdict was yet another letdown in the family's 3 1/2-year quest for accountability.
JESSE RIZO: What message does it send out there? That if you're an officer, you can simply stand by, stand down, stand idle and not do anything and wait for everybody to be executed, killed, slaughtered?
PHILLIPS: Brett Cross, whose son Uziyah Garcia was killed, said the verdict hurt, but he expected it. Still, he said he attended the trial because he made a promise to Uziyah to never stop fighting.
BRETT CROSS: All 19 children, the two teachers, all of the children that were injured - they all deserve us to keep fighting. So I won't stop.
PHILLIPS: Gonzales thanked his attorneys after the verdict.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ADRIAN GONZALES: Thank you from the jury for considering all the evidence and making that verdict.
PHILLIPS: Multiple investigations into the shooting called the law enforcement response a failure. Nearly 400 officers waited more than an hour to confront and kill the gunman at Robb Elementary. Former Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo is the only other officer facing criminal charges. That trial date is pending.
For NPR News, I'm Camille Phillips in Corpus Christi. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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