UVALDE, Texas — Adrian Gonzales, a former school officer, took the stand for the first time on Tuesday as part of an ongoing trial regarding the response to the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers in May 2022. The jury listened intently as prosecutors presented a 68-minute video statement Gonzales made to Texas Rangers just a day after the devastating incident, hoping to shed light on his actions during the crisis.
In the video, Gonzales recounted his arrival at the scene. He vividly described witnessing what he later realized was a gym teacher falling and then rising again. “When I get out and I approach her, she’s like ‘he’s over there, he’s in black by the teacher parking’,” he recalled. He described the confusion and chaos, noting that he began to hear gunfire but initially could not determine its source, highlighting how disorienting it can be in such a high-stress situation.
As he progressed through his statement, Gonzales admitted to experiencing “tunnel vision” as adrenaline surged through him. He acknowledged that focusing on a fleeing teacher instead of the shooter was a critical oversight. “That was my mistake,” he said. “It was just the adrenaline rush going, with shots fired and stuff like that,” he noted, reflecting on the chaotic environment that gripped him on that day.
The courtroom also heard from several teachers who were inside the school during the shooting. Elsa Avila, a fourth-grade teacher, described the panic as she first heard a woman shouting for people to take cover. In a harrowing moment, she realized she had been shot but tried to maintain calm in her classroom to keep her students focused and quiet. Eventually, police entered through the windows, facilitating the rescue of her students. “I was very proud of them. They followed their training, stayed down, and took care of each other,” she stated.
Deputy Joe Vazquez, who was off-duty during the shooting, rushed to the scene from nearby Zavala County. He told the jury that he immediately sought out the location of the shooter based on information from witnesses. He positioned himself in a hallway with other officers but noted a hesitance to engage immediately. “At some point, I ask them if they want to make entry and they said no,” he explained, recalling concerns about needing a negotiator and protective equipment after officers had been fired upon.
Vazquez was eventually part of the team that breached Classroom 111, where the gunman was ultimately neutralized. Afterward, he prioritized finding his daughter, who was a second-grade student at Robb, to ensure her safety. When questioned about how he might have responded had he been the first officer to arrive, he expressed regret over the delay in action, stating, “I would fire even if I had a handgun and he had a rifle.”
This testimony reflects a growing tension surrounding law enforcement’s response during critical incidents and the decisions made in the face of life-threatening emergencies. The trial continues to unfold, with the community grappling with the aftermath of the shooting and the complex discussions it spurs about safety, preparedness, and accountability in schools.