CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – No law enforcement officer in the U.S. has ever been criminally convicted over their response to a mass shooting. That could change as testimony resumes this morning in the trial of a former Uvalde CISD police officer.
Day 8 testimony from teachers and parents reliving the moments that changed their lives and their children’s forever.
Former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales is accused of abandoning or endangering children during the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary that killed 19 students and two teachers.
Special education aide Melody Flores testified on Wednesday that she warned children who were outside and then ran toward the door to make sure it was locked when she realized the shooter was in front of her.
She then described running into an officer outside and telling him they needed to stop the shooter. We now know the officer she ran into was Adrian Gonzales in the initial minutes when he arrived at Robb Elementary.
Defense attorney and former Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood and Special Prosecutor Bill Turner both questioned Flores. It was emotional testimony as she relived the minutes when she saw the shooter and he took shots at her and when she finally found a law enforcement officer.
“I told him we needed to stop him before he went into the fourth-grade building,” said Flores. “We needed to stop him. He did nothing.”
I said it more than once. The second time, I told him again that we needed to go in and stop him before he entered the fourth-grade building. I told him where the gunman was, that he was right there, running in, in the corner, going into the fourth-grade building.
I also pointed with my arm repeatedly, showing where he was going.”
Flores was later asked to look at a photo of the vehicle the officer exited and read what was written on the side.
She read: “Police. Uvalde CISD.”
She was told several times by teachers to get in their classrooms and to take cover. She refused, saying she had to make sure the children were safe.
Mercedes Salas, a former teacher at the school, recalled telling her students to pray as the gunshots rang out.
“I didn’t want them to hear anything else so I told them you need to pray. You need to pray. And I couldn’t say it loud and I had a lot of kids, so I just put my hands… (shows praying hands).”
“I heard kids screaming. And when I screamed, I heard the gunshots. Then I didn’t hear them anymore. So I knew something happened to them because I couldn’t hear them anymore. And whoever it was I knew he was close to my room because I could smell it and I could hear the kids before he shot them.”
“One them said “Mrs. Salas they’re screaming.” And I said, “I know mija.” It was one of my girls and I said they’re screaming because they’re scared like you.”