They had the means and the tools to do it. My sister had her body.
Two years after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, a grand jury has indicted two former school police officers — the first law enforcement figures held criminally accountable for a response that saw nearly 400 officers wait more than 70 minutes while students died inside. The charges against Pete Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales are a threshold crossed, but for the families who lost children and sisters and colleagues, a threshold is not yet a destination. Justice, they remind us, is not measured in indictments alone, but in the full accounting of every person who heard gunfire and chose to wait.
- A grand jury indicted two former Uvalde school officers on child endangerment charges — the first criminal accountability in a response that investigators called a cascade of failures at every level.
- Nearly 400 officers stood in hallways for over 70 minutes while fourth-graders called 911 from inside the classrooms and parents outside the school begged anyone to act.
- Families of victims say two indictments cannot speak for the hundreds who waited, and they are demanding the district attorney pursue charges against every officer who failed to intervene.
- Civil lawsuits are multiplying — a $500 million suit against state police, settlements with the city of Uvalde, and new suits targeting Meta, a video game maker, and the rifle's manufacturer.
- The outcome of this case remains uncertain, shadowed by the Parkland precedent in which a Florida deputy tried on similar grounds was ultimately acquitted.
Two years after an 18-year-old gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers, a grand jury has brought the first criminal charges against law enforcement. Pete Arredondo, the former school police chief who served as on-site commander, and Adrian Gonzales, a former school officer, were indicted on multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment. Both face state jail felonies carrying up to two years in prison.
Prosecutors say Arredondo delayed the response even after hearing gunshots and learning that children and a teacher were wounded inside — calling for a SWAT team, ordering initial responders out of the building, and attempting to negotiate with the gunman rather than confront him. Gonzales is accused of abandoning his training and failing to act despite standing in a hallway where gunfire was audible. Both men have offered defenses: Arredondo says he was working to protect lives; Gonzales's attorney called the charges unprecedented and argued no law or policy was violated.
For families, the indictments are a partial reckoning at best. Velma Duran, whose sister Irma Garcia — one of the two teachers killed — used her own body to shield students from bullets, said she wants every officer who stood in that hallway held accountable. The question of whether more charges will follow remains unanswered; the district attorney has not indicated whether the grand jury's work is complete.
The shooting unfolded on May 24, 2022. Students trapped inside called 911 while parents outside pleaded with officers to enter. It took more than 70 minutes before a tactical team finally breached the classroom and killed the gunman — a delay documented in scathing state and federal reports citing systemic failures across nearly every dimension of the response.
Families are also pursuing accountability far beyond the two indicted officers. A $500 million lawsuit names nearly 100 state police officers, including the highest-ranking Department of Public Safety official on scene. A $2 million settlement with the city of Uvalde includes commitments to reform police hiring and training standards. On the shooting's second anniversary, families filed additional suits against Meta, the maker of Call of Duty, and Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the rifle used in the attack — an effort to hold accountable not just the officers who failed to act, but the broader systems they believe enabled the violence.
The Uvalde charges echo, but are legally distinct from, the Parkland case, in which a Florida campus deputy tried for failing to confront that school's shooter was acquitted last year. Whether Arredondo and Gonzales will be convicted — and whether others will eventually face prosecution — remains an open and deeply watched question.
Two years after an 18-year-old gunman walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers, a grand jury has finally brought criminal charges against two law enforcement officers. Pete Arredondo, the former school police chief, and Adrian Gonzales, a former school officer, were indicted on June 26 on multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment. They are the first officers to face charges for what state and federal investigators have called a cascade of failures in training, communication, and leadership that allowed the shooting to continue for more than 70 minutes while nearly 400 officers stood in the hallways.
The indictment against Arredondo centers on his role as the on-site commander. Prosecutors say he delayed the police response even after hearing gunshots and being told that injured children and a wounded teacher were trapped in the classrooms. Instead of moving quickly to confront the shooter, Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building, and attempted to negotiate with the gunman. Gonzales faces separate charges for abandoning his training and failing to confront the shooter despite standing in a hallway where he could hear gunfire. Both men face state jail felonies carrying up to two years in prison if convicted. Arredondo has said he was trying to eliminate threats and protect students and staff. Gonzales's attorney called the charges unprecedented in Texas and argued the officer did not violate any laws or school district policy.
For families of the victims, the indictments represent a partial reckoning, but one that falls far short of what they believe justice demands. Velma Duran, whose sister Irma Garcia was one of the two teachers killed, expressed the frustration many families feel. She said she wants every single person who stood in that hallway charged with failure to protect the children. Her sister used her own body to shield students from gunfire—something Duran said the armed officers had the means and training to do but did not. The question hanging over the case is whether more charges will come. The Uvalde County District Attorney has not indicated whether the grand jury's work is finished or if other officers will face prosecution.
The shooting itself unfolded on May 24, 2022, when the gunman entered two classrooms and opened fire. Terrified students inside called 911 while parents outside the school begged officers to intervene. Some officers could hear the AR-15-style rifle being fired while they waited in the hallway. It took more than 70 minutes before a tactical team finally entered the classroom and killed the shooter. The delay has been documented in scathing reports from state and federal investigators, who found systemic failures across nearly every dimension of the response.
Beyond the criminal charges, families are pursuing accountability through multiple civil lawsuits. Two days before the two-year anniversary of the shooting, families of 19 victims filed a $500 million lawsuit against nearly 100 state police officers, accusing them of not following their active shooter training and failing to confront the gunman. The lawsuit names Victor Escalon, the highest-ranking Department of Public Safety official involved in the response, as a defendant. The families have also reached a $2 million settlement with the city of Uvalde, which includes commitments to higher standards for police hiring and training.
The legal landscape extends beyond law enforcement. On the anniversary of the shooting, families filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, and the maker of the video game Call of Duty, claiming the companies bear responsibility for the gunman's actions. They have also sued Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the AR-15-style rifle used in the attack. These suits reflect a broader effort by the families to hold accountable not just the officers who failed to act, but the systems and companies they believe enabled the violence.
The case of Arredondo and Gonzales is not without precedent, though such charges remain rare. A campus sheriff's deputy in Florida was tried for failing to confront the shooter during the 2018 Parkland massacre. That deputy was fired and acquitted of felony neglect last year, and a lawsuit by victims' families and survivors remains pending. The Uvalde charges represent a different legal theory and a different moment in the national conversation about police accountability and school safety. Whether they will lead to convictions, and whether they will prompt charges against other officers, remains to be seen.
Notable Quotes
I want every single person who was in the hallway charged for failure to protect the most innocent.— Velma Duran, sister of teacher Irma Garcia
The charges are unprecedented in the state of Texas and the officer believes he did not break any laws or school district policy.— Adrian Gonzales's attorney
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did it take two years for any charges to be filed?
The investigation was complex. There were state and federal reviews happening simultaneously, and prosecutors had to build a case that would hold up in court. But for families, two years felt like an eternity of waiting.
What makes Arredondo's case different from Gonzales's?
Arredondo was the commander on scene. He made the decisions—calling for SWAT, ordering officers out of the building, trying to negotiate. Gonzales was following orders, or at least that's the defense. But the grand jury said both men failed in their duty to act.
Do the families think these two charges are enough?
No. They want accountability from all 400 officers who were there. One sister said she wants every person in that hallway charged. Two indictments feel like a token when so many people made the choice to wait.
What about the civil suits? Are those more likely to succeed?
Civil cases have a lower burden of proof than criminal ones. The families are also suing the state police, the city, gun makers, and social media companies. They're trying to build a broader case about systemic failure.
Has anything like this happened before?
A Florida deputy was tried for not entering the building during Parkland. He was acquitted. So these Uvalde charges are being watched closely—they could set a precedent, or they could fail and discourage future prosecutions.
What happens if Arredondo and Gonzales are convicted?
They face up to two years in jail. But the real question is what comes next—whether other officers will be charged, and whether the families will see the broader accountability they're demanding.