May 24, 2022

• 9:04 a.m. Chief Arredondo told Officer Gonzales to “go hang out at the park with the seniors until 11:30 a.m.

A gunman  Salvador Ramos, age 18, enters Robb Elementary School and moves toward classrooms 111 and 112. Source

• 11:28 a.m. The shooter enters the school through the west entrance.
• 11:29 a.m. The shooter enters classrooms 111 and 112.
• Gunfire begins inside the classrooms.
• Initial 911 calls report an active shooter.
• 11:30 a.m.  – Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo arrives on campus.
• Officers begin entering the building.
• 11:31 a.m. – Officers advance down the hallway toward classrooms 111 and 112.
• Gunfire is heard from inside the classroom.
• Two officers are grazed by bullets and retreat.
• 11:32 a.m.  – Officers establish a position in the hallway near the classrooms.
• The situation is treated as a barricaded subject rather than an active shooter.
• No breach attempt is made.
• 11:33 a.m. Additional officers arrive in the hallway.
• No formal incident commander is announced.
• 11:35 a.m. 911 Call  – A student inside classroom 112 calls 911.
• The caller whispers and reports multiple people have been shot.
• This confirms victims are alive while officers are already present in the hallway.
• 11:36 a.m.  – Officers remain stationary.
• No medical aid is provided inside the classrooms.
• 11:37 a.m.  – Officers request keys and additional equipment.
• No attempt is made to force entry.
• 11:39 a.m. 911 Call – Dispatch receives another call from inside the classroom reporting injured victims.
• Information is not acted upon inside the hallway.
• 11:41 a.m. 911 Call – The student calls 911 again, whispering and reporting continued danger.
• 11:42 a.m. Officers continue holding position.
• The classroom door is not tested or breached.
• 11:44 a.m. 911 Call  – Another 911 call reports multiple victims have been shot.
• Officers remain staged nearby.
• 11:45 a.m. Officers continue waiting for keys.
• No breach is ordered.
• 11:46 a.m. The shooter fires additional rounds inside the classroom.
• Officers do not advance.
• 11:48 a.m. 911 Call – The student calls 911 again, stating there are multiple injured victims and asking for help.
• 11:49 a.m. Officers remain staged.
• Medical personnel are not permitted into the hallway.
• 11:51 a.m. 911 Call – The student reports the shooter is still inside the classroom.
• This confirms ongoing imminent danger more than 20 minutes after officers encountered gunfire.
• 11:52 a.m. Officers remain in position.
• No entry attempt occurs.
• 11:54 a.m. 911 Call – The student reports the shooter has returned to the room.
• This indicates the shooter had exited and reentered while officers were present.
• 11:56 a.m. Border Patrol tactical personnel arrive on campus.
• 11:58 a.m. 911 Call – Another call reports survivors and injuries inside the classroom.
• 12:00 p.m. More than 30 minutes have passed since officers first encountered gunfire.
• The shooter remains alive.
• 12:01–12:15 p.m. – Children continue making intermittent 911 calls.
• Officers rotate hallway positions.
• Shields are staged.
• No forced entry occurs.
• 12:16 p.m.  – Border Patrol tactical officers move toward the classroom area.
• 12:20 p.m. Tactical officers assemble at the end of the hallway.
• 12:21–12:49 p.m.  – Officers wait for additional shields.
• Survivors remain trapped inside the classrooms.
• No medical evacuation begins.
• 12:50 p.m.  – Border Patrol tactical officers breach classroom 111.
• The shooter is killed.
• 12:51 p.m.  – Officers enter classrooms 111 and 112.
• Victims are located inside.
• 12:52–12:58 p.m. –  Medical triage begins inside the classrooms.
• Victims are moved into the hallway.
• 12:59 p.m. –  Medical evacuation begins.

May 25, 2022 

• Texas Department of Public Safety acknowledges errors in its initial public account.
• DPS confirms the shooter was not confronted before entering the school.
• Adrian Gonzales interviewed, one day after the shooting

May 27, 2022

• DPS initiates an internal review of the law enforcement response.

May 31, 2022

• Pete Arredondo is sworn in privately as a Uvalde City Council member.

June 9, 2022

• Arredondo gives a public interview stating he believed the classroom doors were locked and that he needed a key.

June 21, 2022

• Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw testifies before the Texas Senate.
• McCraw states the classroom door was not locked.
• DPS identifies Arredondo as the on scene commander and characterizes the response as a failure.

June 22, 2022

• Uvalde CISD places Arredondo on administrative leave.

July 2, 2022

• Arredondo resigns from the Uvalde City Council.

July 17, 2022

• The Texas House releases its interim investigative report.
• The report concludes the response failed due to leadership, training, and urgency.
• The report confirms victims were alive during the delay.

August 24, 2022

• Uvalde CISD unanimously votes to terminate Arredondo as police chief.

October 7, 2022

• Uvalde CISD suspends its police department.

January 2023

• Body camera footage, hallway video, and interviews are released publicly.
• Footage confirms officers waited outside the classrooms during multiple 911 calls.

February 2023

• Former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales is no longer employed by the district. Source

January 18, 2024

• The United States Department of Justice releases its Critical Incident Review.
• DOJ concludes the response showed cascading failures and confirms the door was not locked.
• DOJ documents that children were alive and calling for help while officers waited.

January 19, 2024

• A Uvalde County special grand jury is convened.

June 26, 2024

• Uvalde County grand jury indicted former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales on 29 felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child, alleging he failed to act while children were in imminent danger during the Robb Elementary School shooting. Source

June 27–28, 2024

• The grand jury indicts Arredondo on 10 felony counts of child endangerment.

July 2024

• Both defendants are arraigned and plead not guilty.

September 2024

• Arredondo files a motion to dismiss, arguing no legal duty existed.
• The trial court denies the motion.

2025

• Pretrial litigation continues.
• Thousands of investigative records are released publicly.
• Gonzales files a motion for change of venue.

October 7, 2025

• The court grants Gonzales a change of venue to Nueces County.

January 5, 2026

• 9:00 AM Jury selection begins in Gonzales’ criminal trial. He faces 29 felony counts related to alleged inaction during the shooting.
• 8:00 PM A jury was seated in the trial of Adrian Gonzales, a former Uvalde school district police officer – 12 jurors and four alternate jurors. The trial is being held at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, after it was moved from Uvalde to ensure an impartial jury
• Pete Arredondo’s trial remains pending.

January 6, 2026

• 8:30 a.m. CT (9:30 a.m. ET) Court convenes for pretrial motions.
• 9:30 a.m. CT (10:30 a.m. ET) Opening statements scheduled to begin.
• See Daily Trial Updates Below 

Adrian Gonzales – Former Uvalde CISD Police Officer Personnel File

1991

• He graduated from Uvalde High School. Gonzales also previously worked as an officer for the Uvalde Police Department and taught with the Uvalde Head Start program.

December 7, 2009

• Adrian Gonzales was issued a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Basic Peace Officer certification.
• Certification type listed as Active TCOLE Peace Officer. 

August 27, 2016

• Gonzales received an Advanced Peace Officer certification from TCOLE. 
• The certification remains listed as active in personnel records.
  

June 3, 2021

• Gonzales submitted a formal employment application to Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District for the position of Police Officer. 
• Application includes:
• Employment history
• Criminal history disclosures
• Authorization for background and fingerprint checks
  

June 23, 2021

• Gonzales participated in a panel interview for the Uvalde CISD Police Officer position. 
• Interview panel included:
• Pete Arredondo
• Mike Hernandez
• Joe Barbosa
• Interview date is handwritten on the Recommendation for Employment form.
  

June 29, 2021

• Gonzales’ criminal history clearance was completed and signed by Uvalde CISD personnel. 
• The clearance form indicates that criminal history was reviewed and approved.
• The same date appears on salary approval documentation.
  

July 1, 2021

• Gonzales’ date of hire with Uvalde CISD is documented on the Texas New Hire Reporting Form.
• His position is listed as Police Officer.
• Starting salary recorded as $44,687.50.
  

July 2, 2021

• Gonzales signed multiple onboarding documents, including: 
• Pre Employment Affidavit
• Open Records Act acknowledgment
• These documents affirm eligibility and compliance with Texas Education Code requirements.
  

July 16, 2021

• Gonzales signed the Uvalde CISD Drug Abuse Policy acknowledgment. 
• This document confirms understanding of district drug and alcohol policies.
  

2021–2022 School Year

• Gonzales served as a sworn Uvalde CISD Police Officer. 
• Personnel records show no disciplinary actions during this period.
• His duties included campus security and emergency response.
• Gonzales was actively employed as a Uvalde CISD police officer on the date of the Robb Elementary School shooting. 
• His employment status and sworn authority on this date are confirmed by personnel records.
• The personnel file does not document actions taken during the incident.

May 24, 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting

• Gonzales responds to the active shooter at Robb Elementary School.
• He enters the school and positions himself near classrooms 111 and 112.
• He remains in the hallway during the standoff.
• He does not advance or attempt to breach the classroom.
• He does not render aid to victims inside.
• He remains present while children inside call 911 repeatedly.
• Investigative reviews later conclude he had opportunities to intervene but did not act.

11:29 a.m.

• Officer Adrian Gonzales is at a high school event at Jardin de los Heroes Park, less than one mile from Robb Elementary.
• Gonzales hears radio traffic referencing a vehicle accident near Robb Elementary.
• Moments later, radio traffic indicates a man with a gun.

Approximately 11:30 a.m. to 11:31 a.m.

• Unreleased surveillance video shows Gonzales driving onto Robb Elementary grounds through a wide open gate.
• He drives across a field that the shooter had crossed moments earlier.
• Police dispatch relays 911 caller information stating the suspect jumped a fence and was heading toward the school.
• A second-grade teacher later reports seeing Gonzales’s marked patrol car outside her classroom at 11:31 a.m., based on a timestamped screenshot she had just taken on her laptop.
• Her classroom is less than 140 feet from the fourth-grade building.

11:31 a.m. to 11:32 a.m.

• Gonzales encounters a coach running and falling near the school.
• The coach tells him the shooter is “over there,” wearing black, and heading toward the fourth-grade building.
• Gonzales later states he focused on the coach and “locked in” on her, describing it as tunnel vision caused by adrenaline.

11:32 a.m.

• Approximately 20 seconds after Gonzales arrives near the buildings, the shooter fires from the parking lot toward the fourth-grade wing.
• Gonzales broadcasts over the radio: “Shots fired! Shots fired, Uvalde, at Robb school.”
• Gonzales is estimated to be within approximately 200 feet of the shooter, separated by a building.

11:32 a.m. to 11:33 a.m.

• 59 seconds pass between the first shots fired outside and the shooter entering the school.
• Another 23 seconds pass before the shooter fires his way into connected classrooms 111 and 112.
• Gonzales states he heard the gunfire but did not visually locate the shooter and did not fire his weapon.

11:33 a.m. to 11:35 a.m.

• Gonzales calls repeatedly over the radio for another unit to provide cover.
• He does not enter the building immediately.
• Body camera footage later released shows Gonzales warning arriving officers to stay back, believing the shooter was firing from windows.
• At this time, the shooter is still outside firing toward the building.

11:35 a.m.

• Gonzales enters the hallway behind a Uvalde Police Department officer.
• Chief Pete Arredondo follows shortly thereafter with another city officer.
• Officers approaching from the opposite end of the hallway are fired upon.
• All officers retreat, and the shooting temporarily stops.

11:35 a.m. to 11:38 a.m.

• Gonzales and another officer leave the building because their radios do not work inside.
• Gonzales does not reenter the building for more than an hour.

11:38 a.m.

• Call logs show Gonzales requests SWAT activation.
• This occurs despite active shooter doctrine rejecting waiting for SWAT.
• A local SWAT leader, Eduardo Canales, already armed with a rifle, is present in the hallway.

11:38 a.m. to approximately 12:48 p.m.

• Gonzales positions himself outside near the corner of the fourth-grade building.
• He points out where the shooter is believed to be.
• He asks administrators whether Eva Mireles’s class in room 112 is in session and radios that children are scheduled to be inside.
• He chats with a UPD officer about seeing the coach fall and mentions Mireles as “Ruben’s girl,” referring to Officer Ruben Ruiz.
• Gonzales props open an exterior door with a stick.
• He assists in evacuating children from a window of room 102, telling them to “Run! Run!”
• Gonzales obtains master keys from a maintenance supervisor.
• He checks on Officer Ruben Ruiz after Ruiz is disarmed while attempting to move toward his wife’s classroom.

Approximately 12:50 p.m.

• Border Patrol tactical officers breach classrooms 111 and 112 and kill the shooter.
• Gonzales enters the classrooms after the breach.
• Body camera footage shows him holding the door to Eva Mireles’s classroom after surviving children are removed.

May 25, 2022 

• DPS confirms the shooter was not confronted before entering the school.
• Adrian Gonzales interviewed, one day after the shooting. Gonzales’s statements on that day included:
• Initial Arrival: He heard reports of a vehicle accident and a man with a gun while at a high school event less than a mile away.
• Engagement: He told investigators he saw a coach running and falling who told him the shooter was “over there” and wearing black.
• Hearing Gunfire: He acknowledged hearing the gunman fire at the school from the parking lot at 11:32 a.m., approximately 20 seconds after his own arrival.
• Evacuation efforts: He claimed that once officers realized students remained in other classrooms, he assisted in their evacuation.

July 17, 2022

• The Texas House interim report identifies Gonzales as being inside the school during critical periods.
• The report confirms victims were alive during the time he was positioned nearby.

January 2023

• Body camera and hallway footage is released.
• Gonzales is visible inside the hallway near the classrooms during prolonged inaction.

February 2023

• Gonzales is no longer employed by Uvalde CISD Police.

January 18, 2024

• The DOJ Critical Incident Review concludes officers in Gonzales’ position failed to act with urgency.
• DOJ confirms the classroom door was not locked.
• DOJ documents that children were alive and calling for help while officers waited.

June 26, 2024

• Uvalde County grand jury indicted former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales on 29 felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child, alleging he failed to act while children were in imminent danger during the Robb Elementary School shooting. Source
• A Uvalde County grand jury indicts Gonzales on 29 felony counts of child abandonment and endangerment.
• The indictment alleges he knowingly failed to act while children were in imminent danger.

June 27, 2024

• Gonzales surrenders and is released on bond.

July 2024

• Gonzales is arraigned.
• He enters pleas of not guilty on all counts.

2025

• Gonzales files pretrial motions, including discovery requests.
• He files a motion for change of venue, citing jury saturation in Uvalde County.

October 7, 2025

• The court grants Gonzales a change of venue.
• His trial is moved to Nueces County, Corpus Christi.

January 5, 2026

• Jury selection begins in Gonzales’ criminal trial.
• He faces 29 felony counts related to alleged inaction during the shooting.
• 8:00 PM 12 jurors and four alternate jurors were officially selected

INVESTIGATION TIMELINE

Officer Adrian Gonzales – Uvalde CISD Police Department

May 24, 2022

11:33 a.m.

• Shooter enters Robb Elementary School and begins firing.
• Shooter enters connected classrooms 111 and 112 within approximately one minute.

11:36 a.m. to 11:37 a.m.

• Multiple UCISD and Uvalde Police officers, including Officer Adrian Gonzales, are inside the west building hallway.
• Officers hear active gunfire coming from classrooms 111 and 112.
• Five officers move toward the classrooms and are met with gunfire.
• Two officers sustain shrapnel or graze injuries.
• Officers retreat to cover rather than breach the classrooms.

11:38 a.m.

• Officers in the hallway, including Gonzales, remain positioned outside classrooms 111 and 112.
• The response posture begins shifting from active shooter engagement to a barricaded subject mindset.
• Dispatch confirms that classes are in session.

11:40 a.m. to 11:44 a.m.

• Law enforcement receives information that children and teachers are inside the classrooms.
• At least one gunshot is heard at approximately 11:44 a.m.
• No breach or entry occurs following this gunshot.

11:44 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

• Officers, including Gonzales, remain in the hallway.
• Multiple 911 calls from children inside classrooms 111 and 112 are received and relayed.
• Officers are aware that victims are alive, injured, and requesting help.
• No officer initiates entry using available weapons or manpower.

12:21 p.m.

• Four additional shots are fired inside classrooms 111 and 112.
• Officers move closer to the classroom doors but do not enter.
• Focus turns to locating keys and specialized equipment.

12:21 p.m. to 12:48 p.m.

• Officer Gonzales remains on scene as officers:
• Test keys on nearby doors.
• Attempt to open a janitor’s closet adjacent to room 112.
• Discuss alternative tactics.
• DOJ states officers waited to see if sniper or drone options could eliminate the shooter.

12:48 p.m. to 12:50 p.m.

• A tactical team including BORTAC and BORSTAR enters classroom 111.
• The shooter is killed at approximately 12:50 p.m.
• Total elapsed time from first officer entry to shooter neutralization is approximately 77 minutes.

Post Incident, 2022 to 2023

• Texas Rangers assume the criminal investigation due to involvement of multiple local officers.
• DOJ review notes that administrative investigations into individual officer conduct were incomplete or not finalized during the review period.

January 2024

• Officer Adrian Gonzales is criminally charged in connection with the response.
• Charges allege failure to act consistent with active shooter response duties.

January 6, 2025

TRIAL DAY 1
January 6, 2026
State of Texas v. Adrian Gonzales  Source
Nueces County Courthouse, Corpus Christi, Texas

9:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. ET)

• Pretrial hearing begins outside the presence of the jury.
• Judge Sid Harle asks to review prosecution photographs before deciding whether they can be used at trial.

9:02 a.m.

• Defense argues Gonzales did not cause the injuries, the shooter did.

9:03 a.m.

• Defense states it is not disputing that children named in the indictment were killed or injured.

9:04 a.m. to 9:29 a.m.

• Defense argues autopsy photographs should be suppressed as unfairly prejudicial.
• The court notes the photos are highly prejudicial given the victims’ ages.
• The court denies the defense motion for purposes of openings but reserves the right to exclude many photos later, deciding exhibit by exhibit.

9:34 a.m. to 9:38 a.m.

• The court limits “victim” language, children may be called “victims,” but not specifically “his victims,” unless proven.

9:39 a.m.

• Pretrial hearing concludes, short break.

9:47 a.m.

• Jurors enter the courtroom.

9:48 a.m.

• Judge reads juror rules and expectations.

9:54 a.m.

• Indictment is read in open court.

10:03 a.m.

• Gonzales enters his plea: “Not guilty.”

10:04 a.m. to 11:06 a.m.

• Opening statements.
• Key Day 1 points raised in openings included:
• Defense emphasized the shooter’s actions began with a vehicle crash, and argued the crash contributed to confusion about what was happening.
• Defense referenced an officer arriving with a rifle and asking for permission to shoot, but said the shooter moved into the school before action could be taken.
• State argued Gonzales was trained to move to a corner position to distract, delay, and impede, and that he relied on radio communications instead.

11:11 a.m.

• State calls its first witness, Gilbert Limones, sworn in.
• Limones testifies he is a full-time pastor and was working at a funeral home across from Robb Elementary.

11:12 a.m.

• Limones testifies a coworker told him there was an accident “across the street.”

11:13 a.m.

• Limones testifies he walked toward the crash site while calling 911, and heard someone yell “He has a gun.”

11:19 a.m.

• Limones testifies he ended the 911 call and called his mother to pray, saying someone was shooting at children near the school.

11:21 a.m.

• Limones uses a map to identify the funeral home’s location relative to the school.

11:25 a.m.

• Limones’s first 911 call is played for the jury, reported as beginning at 11:29:14 a.m. on May 24, 2022.

11:29 a.m.

• Limones’s second 911 call is played.

11:36 a.m. to 11:51 a.m.

• Funeral home surveillance video is shown, including:
• 11:28:21 a.m. mark, a vehicle crashes into a ditch.
• 11:29:05 a.m. mark, Limones and another employee walk toward the crash.
• 11:29:25 a.m. mark, they run back toward the funeral home.
• 11:31:36 a.m. mark, a “white car” travels toward the school.
• 11:32:23 a.m. mark, two marked law enforcement vehicles appear.
• Video shows the shooter hopping a fence and walking toward the school parking lot.

12:01 p.m.

• Lunch recess.

1:23 p.m.

• Jurors return.

Afternoon, teacher testimony and dispute

• A Robb Elementary teacher, identified in reporting as Stephanie Hale, testified and introduced a key detail placing the shooter in the same part of the school area as Gonzales.
• Hale testified emotionally about moving students from the playground to a classroom and hiding, and described teachers and students preparing to defend themselves, including students grabbing safety scissors after seeing teachers do the same.
• Hale also testified that she saw a gunman wearing black approaching the school from an area near where Gonzales was.
• Defense lawyers immediately complained that this key detail had not been disclosed in prior witness interviews, and argued they were not properly notified of this information.
• Prosecutor admitted that Hale never informed the state or the grand jury about seeing a man in black with a rifle at the specific location where she witnessed a shooter

5:14 p.m.

• The judge halted the testimony to address the dispute over Hale’s statement and disclosure. 
• The judge said the court would consider arguments about the testimony through Wednesday
• Court dismissed for the day.
• Jurors are to return at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, and the State and Defense return at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

TRIAL DAY 2
January 7, 2026
State of Texas v. Adrian Gonzales
Corpus Christi, Texas

Morning Status

• Jury remained dismissed from the courtroom as the court addressed issues outside the jury’s presence related to disputed testimony from the prior day.

Discovery Dispute and Defense Motion

• Defense counsel formally moved for a mistrial, citing a discovery violation involving the testimony of Robb Elementary teacher Stephanie Hale.
• Defense argued the prosecution failed to disclose in advance that Hale would testify to seeing the shooter in a location overlapping with where Officer Adrian Gonzales was present.
• Defense asserted the testimony materially bolstered the State’s theory that Gonzales knew the shooter’s location and failed to act, and that the lack of disclosure impaired the defense’s ability to prepare.

Court Ruling on Mistrial Motion

• The judge denied the defense motion for mistrial.
• The court stated it was inclined to exclude Stephanie Hale’s testimony from the previous day due to the disclosure issue.

Remedy Discussions

• The court recessed while the parties conferred to determine whether they could agree on an alternative remedy.
• Defense indicated it wanted the opportunity to cross examine Hale before any exclusion ruling, stating a desire to attempt to “unring the bell” in front of the jury.
• Under the proposed remedy discussed in court:
• The defense would complete cross examination of Hale.
• The State would be permitted a re direct examination.
• After that, the defense could ask the court to exclude Hale’s entire testimony if it chose to do so.

Status at Recess

• Court went on break while the parties discussed and refined the proposed remedy.
• Jury remained dismissed and had not yet been recalled.
• No final ruling issued yet on whether Hale’s testimony will ultimately be excluded.

Current procedural posture

• Trial is paused pending resolution of how Hale’s testimony will be handled.
• Mistrial request is denied, but exclusion of testimony remains under active consideration.
• Next steps depend on whether the parties agree to proceed with cross examination followed by a potential exclusion ruling.

DAY 3 – Wednesday, January 7 2026

Procedural Hearing (No Jury)

The judge held a hearing on the contested testimony from Hale’s prior day’s testimony. Defense filed a motion for mistrial based on claims that prosecutors failed to disclose evidence before testimony.

Rulings

The judge denied the mistrial motion, finding the oversight inadvertent and offered remedies such as allowing defense use of Hale’s initial interview where she did not mention seeing the gunman. The trial was ordered to proceed with the jury the next day.

TRIAL DAY 4, Thursday January 8 2026

Jurors returned to hear continued testimony and evidence presentations. The focus shifted to emotional firsthand accounts from survivors and evidence of the aftermath inside Robb Elementary School.

Witnesses

• Surviving teacher Arnulfo Reyes provided graphic testimony about seeing a “black shadow with a gun” and being shot multiple times while in his classroom, describing the deaths of all students in Room 111.
• Additional testimony came from first responders and law enforcement officers who described the scene, their roles in evacuation and what they observed while documenting the aftermath.

Evidence Introduced

• Graphic crime scene and autopsy photos were shown to the jury, depicting classroom damage, bullet trajectories, and other physical evidence from inside Robb Elementary.

Rulings / Court Action

• The judge formally struck some contested testimony from the record and instructed jurors to disregard it due to earlier discovery issues.

Schedule

• Court continued into the day and testimony was expected to proceed on subsequent trial sessions.

TRIAL DAY 5, Tuesday January 13 2026

• The trial resumed with further witness testimony, focusing on additional firsthand accounts and official perspectives from law enforcement personnel.

Witnesses

• Joe Vasquez, an off‑duty Zavala County Sheriff’s deputy who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting, testified about arriving on scene, entering the school and encountering bodies and chaos. Vasquez recounted arriving shortly before noon, entering classrooms, seeing victims and nearly being shot himself.
• Teresa Zamarripa, an office manager with the Southwest Texas College Law Enforcement Academy, was called to provide testimony regarding broader response context.
• Ricardo Guajardo, a Texas Ranger with the Texas Department of Public Safety, testified about his role in evacuating children and later coordinating aspects of the response.

Evidence Introduced

• No new specific documentary exhibits were reported for this day, but testimony contributed to the factual record of law enforcement actions and response dynamics.

Courtroom Events

• During Vasquez’s testimony, a spectator was escorted from the courtroom following an emotional outburst related to the evidence about classrooms being unlocked at the time of the shooting.

Schedule

• Proceedings continued into the afternoon with lunch and afternoon sessions after break.

Pete Arredondo – Former Uvalde CISD Police Chief

Before May 24, 2022

• Pete Arredondo serves as Chief of Police for Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District.
• He is responsible for campus law enforcement and emergency response planning.

May 24, 2022

• Arredondo responds to the active shooter at Robb Elementary School.
• He enters the school early in the incident.
• He positions himself in the hallway near classrooms 111 and 112.
• He does not order an immediate breach after encountering gunfire.
• He treats the situation as a barricaded subject scenario rather than an active shooter.
• He seeks keys to the classroom door and requests additional equipment.
• He does not establish a clearly communicated incident command.
• Children inside the classroom call 911 repeatedly while officers wait.
• The shooter remains alive for more than 77 minutes before being killed by a Border Patrol tactical officer.

May 31, 2022

• Arredondo is sworn in privately as a Uvalde City Council member, days after the shooting.

June 9, 2022

• Arredondo gives a public interview.
• He states he believed the classroom doors were locked.
• He states he lacked a master key and could not enter.

June 21, 2022

• Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw testifies before the Texas Senate.
• DPS identifies Arredondo as the on scene incident commander.
• DPS states the classroom door was not locked.
• DPS characterizes the response as a failure to follow active shooter protocols.

June 22, 2022

• Uvalde CISD places Arredondo on administrative leave as police chief.

July 2, 2022

• Arredondo resigns from the Uvalde City Council.

July 17, 2022

• The Texas House interim report is released.
• The report finds failures in leadership, training, and command.
• The report confirms Arredondo exercised de facto command authority.
• The report confirms victims were alive during the delay.

August 24, 2022

• Uvalde CISD unanimously votes to terminate Arredondo as police chief.

January 2023

• Body camera footage and interviews are released.
• Footage shows Arredondo in the hallway during prolonged inaction.

January 18, 2024

• The United States Department of Justice releases its Critical Incident Review.
• DOJ concludes Arredondo failed to transition the response to an active shooter event.
• DOJ confirms the classroom door was not locked.
• DOJ documents that children were alive and calling 911 during the delay.

June 27–28, 2024

• A Uvalde County grand jury indicts Arredondo on 10 felony counts of child endangerment.
• The indictment alleges he knowingly failed to act while children were in imminent danger.
• Arredondo surrenders and is released on bond.

July 2024

• Arredondo is arraigned.
• He enters a plea of not guilty.

September 2024

• Arredondo files a motion to dismiss the indictment.
• He argues Texas law does not impose a duty on school police to protect students from third party violence.

Late 2024

• The trial court denies Arredondo’s motion to dismiss.
• The case is allowed to proceed.

2025

• Pretrial litigation continues.
• Discovery materials and investigative records are released publicly.
• Trial scheduling remains pending.

INVESTIGATION TIMELINE

Chief Pete Arredondo – Chief, Uvalde CISD Police Department

May 24, 2022

11:33 a.m.

• Shooter enters Robb Elementary School and begins firing.

11:35 a.m.

• Chief Pete Arredondo arrives inside the school.
• DOJ concludes he becomes the de facto on scene incident commander under UCISD policy.

11:36 a.m. to 11:37 a.m.

• Officers encounter gunfire at classrooms 111 and 112 and retreat.
• Arredondo is present during or immediately after this initial contact.

Shortly after arrival

• Arredondo discards his radios.
• He communicates by cell phone and verbal contact rather than radio coordination.
• DOJ states this significantly impaired command and control.

11:38 a.m.

• Arredondo begins directing evacuation of other classrooms.
• He initiates a prolonged effort to clear the west building.
• DOJ identifies this as a major contributing factor to delayed entry.

11:38 a.m. to 12:21 p.m.

• Arredondo:
• Directs officers to search for keys.
• Attempts intermittent communication with the shooter.
• Treats the incident as barricaded rather than active shooter.
• DOJ notes evacuation of the west building lasts 43 minutes, from approximately 11:38 a.m. until 12:21 p.m.

11:40 a.m.

• Dispatch confirms class is in session.
• Arredondo has information indicating children and teachers are inside classrooms 111 and 112.

11:44 a.m.

• A gunshot is fired inside the classrooms.
• DOJ states this should have triggered immediate entry.
• Arredondo does not order a breach.

12:21 p.m.

• Four gunshots are fired inside classrooms 111 and 112.
• Officers advance but still do not enter.
• Arredondo continues focusing on keys and alternative tactics.

12:21 p.m. to 12:48 p.m.

• Arredondo allows further delay while officers:
• Locate keys.
• Consider sniper and drone options.
• DOJ emphasizes these delays occurred despite repeated confirmation of an active threat.

12:48 p.m. to 12:50 p.m.

• BORTAC team enters classroom 111.
• Shooter is killed at approximately 12:50 p.m.

Post Incident Findings

2022 to 2023

• DOJ concludes Arredondo failed to:
• Establish incident command.
• Establish unified command.
• Direct immediate entry.
• Adapt response after repeated gunfire and 911 calls.

2022 to 2024

• Arredondo is placed on administrative leave.
• He is later removed from elected office.