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The trial of former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officer Adrian Gonzales entered its final phase Tuesday in Corpus Christi, with both the prosecution and defense resting their cases after days of emotional and at times contentious testimony.
After a recess at the Nueces County Courthouse, Presiding Judge Sid Harle informed jurors that both sides had concluded their presentations. The jury was then dismissed for the day as attorneys prepared for closing arguments and the case moved closer to deliberation.
Gonzales is charged with 29 counts of abandoning or endangering a child for his actions during the May 24, 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 students and two teachers were killed. He has pleaded not guilty.
Much of the testimony focused on Gonzales’ location and actions in the early minutes of the attack, and whether he had an opportunity to move into the school building and confront the gunman. Prosecutors argued Gonzales was among the first officers on scene and failed to take action that could have disrupted the shooting. Their case relied on timelines built from body-camera footage, radio traffic, and witness accounts.
Several witnesses played central roles in shaping the state’s case. Robb Elementary teacher Stephanie Hale testified about what she said she saw near the school during the early moments of the shooting, placing the gunman close to the building. Her testimony prompted immediate objections from defense attorneys and briefly halted proceedings while the judge considered a mistrial request. The motion was denied, though portions of her testimony were later excluded and jurors were instructed to disregard them.
Another key moment came from testimony by Melodye Flores, who told jurors she saw Gonzales outside the school and observed him pacing near the building rather than moving inside. Prosecutors cited her account as evidence Gonzales had an opportunity to act. Defense attorneys questioned the reliability of eyewitness accounts from inside the school, citing the chaos and stress of the moment.
The trial also included a highly emotional courtroom moment involving the family of a victim. Velma Lisa Duran, the sister of slain Robb Elementary teacher Irma Garcia, was escorted out of the courtroom after an outburst during testimony. Judge Harle instructed jurors to disregard the incident and later barred Duran from returning to the courtroom.
Jurors also heard from Arnulfo Reyes, a fourth-grade teacher who survived the shooting after being seriously wounded. Reyes testified about being inside one of the classrooms where students were killed and described the fear and confusion as the attack unfolded. Prosecutors pointed to his testimony to underscore the urgency inside the school as officers waited outside.
Medical testimony further detailed the toll of the shooting. Cherie Hauptmeier, an emergency room physician at Uvalde Memorial Hospital, described treating victims with severe gunshot wounds amid chaotic conditions. She testified that multiple patients required emergency care and that some were transferred to San Antonio hospitals for advanced treatment.
A state investigator also walked jurors through a detailed timeline of law enforcement actions using body-camera video, radio communications, and surveillance footage. Investigators testified that nearly 400 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the school and waited more than an hour before a tactical team confronted the gunman. Prosecutors used that evidence to argue Gonzales had time to act.
The trial was also marked by several delays. Proceedings were paused while the judge considered, and ultimately denied, a defense motion for mistrial. Testimony was later interrupted by a juror’s personal emergency, and the court was dark for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday before testimony resumed.
The defense called a limited number of witnesses, including a policing expert who testified about perceptual challenges officers face under extreme stress, such as tunnel vision and delayed processing. Defense attorneys also called a civilian witness who said she saw the shooter outside the school near parked vehicles, testimony they argued supported the claim that Gonzales may not have known the shooter had already entered the building. Gonzales did not testify.
The trial was moved from Uvalde to Nueces County after a judge granted a change of venue, citing concerns that extensive publicity surrounding the shooting could make it difficult to seat an impartial jury.
Closing arguments and jury deliberations are expected to begin Wednesday. The verdict will determine whether Gonzales is held criminally responsible for his actions — or inaction — during one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
Former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo, who investigators have described as the presumed incident commander during the shooting, is the only other law enforcement officer facing criminal charges related to the response. Arredondo is awaiting a separate trial, extending what has already been a long wait for accountability for the victims’ families.
