Emotional scenes unfold at the courthouse as families of Robb Elementary victims express heartbreak after the verdict.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Nueces County jury found former Uvalde police officer Adrian Gonzalez not guilty on all 29 counts on Wednesday night, tied to his actions during the Robb Elementary School shooting.
The jury reached its verdict after about seven hours of deliberations following closing arguments from both the prosecution and defense. The decision was announced in a tense courtroom by Judge Sid Harrell.
“In each of the 29 counts, we, the jury, find the defendant Adrian Gonzalez not guilty,” Harrell said.
The verdict sparked emotional reactions on both sides of the courtroom. Families of the victims wept and held onto one another, while Gonzalez embraced his family and attorneys.
Gonzalez, who did not testify during the trial, spoke publicly for the first time shortly after the verdict.
“Just picking up the pieces and moving forward,” Gonzalez said. When asked if he had a message for the victims’ families, he added, “No, not right now.”
Family members of those killed at Robb Elementary expressed heartbreak and anger, saying they believe justice was not served.
“The system failed the children, the teachers again,” said Juanita Rizzo, who attended the trial throughout the proceedings. “They keep failing us.”
Her sister, Julissa Rizzo, said accountability remains absent.
“There were two monsters on May 24,” Julissa Rizzo said. “One was the shooter, and the other was a monster that never went in and could have avoided this.”
The verdict comes nearly three years after the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, which left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Gonzalez’s defense team said questions from jurors during deliberations pointed to gaps in the prosecution’s case, which they say influenced the verdict.
As the trial concluded at the Nueces County Courthouse, families of the victims said the outcome marked another painful chapter in their search for justice.