CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - After seven hours of deliberation, a Nueces County jury returned a not guilty verdict on all 29 counts of child endangerment in the trial of former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales.

For the families of the victims, it was the sense of injustice and the burden of being here and listening to so much. For Adrian Gonzales family, it was relief.

"We've been failed again. It's going to keep on happening if things don't change. I mean, I'm angry, I'm sad," said one family member.

"I respect the jury's decision, you know, but it just what messages to 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, massacred. Is that the message that you sent today?" said another family member.

Gonzales actually spoke to the media briefly alongside his attorneys. He says now he has to pick up the pieces. His attorneys say there’s been an incorrect narrative about him for so long, that rebuilding won’t be easy.

"I want to start by thanking God for this, my family, my wife, and these guys right here. He put them in my path, you know. And I'm just thankful for that. Thank you to the jury for considering all the evidence and making that verdict," Gonzales said.

When asked if he wanted to say anything to the families, Gonzales declined to comment.

This is now the second case where we’ve seen a school police officer acquitted after being charged for their role in the response. The first being in parkland Florida.

Gonzales' attorneys were asked about what message this sends to law enforcement, especially since training was so heavily discussed here.

Gonzales' attorney says he was unfairly blamed for a broader law enforcement failure that day.

In the meantime, the family was asked about DA Christina Mitchell and what message they had for her. Many said she needs to do better when the next trial starts for ex-chief Pete Arredondo.

It is to be noted the Uvalde County DA and the special prosecutor did not address the media tonight.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS

Just after noon on Wednesday, closing arguments concluded in the trial of former UCISD officer Adrian Gonzales, who is facing 29 counts of child endangerment related to the tragic events at Robb Elementary.

The trial has highlighted the intense scrutiny on law enforcement's duty to protect children, especially in school settings.

The defense portrayed Gonzales as a scapegoat, arguing that he was unfairly targeted by the government to take the fall for the broader failures of the police response.

"The power of the state has decided that he has to pay for the failures of that day," defense attorney Jason Goss said.

In contrast, the prosecution emphasized the gravity of the jury's decision.

"Make no mistake, the 12 of you will set the bar for law enforcement in these situations," special prosecutor Bill Turner stated, urging jurors to consider the implications of their verdict.

Christina Mitchell Busbee, Uvalde County district attorney, implored the jury to hold officers accountable. "We cannot let 19 children die in vain," she said.

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The prosecution argued that Gonzales had a duty to act during the shooting.

Special Prosecutor Bill Turner stated, "If you have a duty to act, you can't stand by if a child is in imminent danger."

RELATED | Retired officer testifies on chaos inside Robb Elementary during shooting

Turner added that Gonzales "failed to act after being aware that shots were fired, being told the general location of the gunman, having time to respond..."

The defense contends that Gonzales did act and attempted to save lives, arguing that the person responsible for the deaths is deceased.

RELATED | Jury hears more on Adrian Gonzales' actions during 2022 Uvalde school shooting

"The government, the power of the state, has decided that he has to pay for the failures that day, for the mistakes that were made that day, and for all the pain that day and it's not right," Goss said. "The person they plucked out to put in that chair, that person we showed throughout this trial was acting, he was trying."

Goss later emphasized that nothing will bring back the children who were killed. He agreed with the prosecution's statement that they should be remembered, but added, "you do not honor their memory by doing an injustice in their name."

RELATED | Courtroom sees former UCISD officer's interview with Texas Rangers

Each charge against Gonzales carried a potential sentence of up to two years in prison. The defense requested that the judge handle sentencing if Gonzales was convicted.

RELATED | Jury presented with harrowing evidence during testimony in Robb Elementary shooting trial

A jury of 12, along with four alternates, was seated on Monday, Jan. 5. The final panel includes 11 women and five men. Gonzales, one of the first officers to respond to the Robb Elementary School shooting, faces 29 counts of child endangerment.

During a pre-trial hearing before opening statements, defense attorneys argued that photos of the slain children should be suppressed, calling them prejudicial to the jury.

The panel was largely made up of middle-aged jurors, with a mix of older and younger members. Eight jurors are Hispanic, seven are white, and one juror’s ethnicity is unknown.

Gonzales, a former Uvalde school officer who was among the first to respond to what was one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, has pleaded not guilty.

He and former Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo are the only two officers to face criminal charges over the response. Arredondo’s trial has not been scheduled.

Some families of the victims were upset that more officers were not charged given that nearly 400 federal, state and local officers converged on the school soon after the 2022 attack.

Terrified students inside the classrooms called 911 and parents outside begged for intervention by officers, some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.

The gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary.

An investigation found 77 minutes passed from the time authorities arrived until the tactical team breached the classroom and killed Salvador Ramos, who was obsessed with violence and notoriety in the months leading up to the shooting.

Former Robb teachers, Texas Rangers, hospital workers, and active shooter training experts all took the stand in the trial.