Cops charged over Texas school shooting failure.

Uvalde Grand Jury Indicts Two Ex-Officers Over Elementary School Shooting Response

Uvalde, TX – A grand jury has indicted two former law enforcement officers, Pete Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales, for their roles in the flawed response to the May 2022 elementary school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead. Arredondo was jailed Thursday, with charges of injury to a child by omission, carrying a potential sentence of two years and a $10,000 fine.

"...33 students and three of their teachers — many of whom had been shot — were trapped in a room with an active shooter for over an hour as law enforcement officials remained outside."

• US Department of Justice Report, January 2023

The indictment comes after intense pressure from victims' families, and a scathing Department of Justice report citing "failed leadership, training, and policies". The report detailed how first responders' inaction led to the prolonged entrapment of students and teachers with the active shooter.

This indictment shatters the initial false narrative of police heroism, as officials first claimed that their swift action prevented further loss of life—a claim contradicted by the 77-minute video obtained by the [Austin American-Statesman](https://www.statesman.com/news/education/texas-education/article/2023/07/13/uvalde-school-police-chief-pete-arredondo- indicted-grand-jury-robb-18097087/) and KVUE-TV.

The case sets a rare precedent of law enforcement accountability; it is only the second or third time an officer has faced charges for inaction during an on-campus shooting.