Key testimony details timeline of attack
The gunman who carried out the 2022 Uvalde school shooting fired 117 rounds inside two classrooms at Robb Elementary School during a two-minute span before a school police officer entered the building, a Texas Ranger testified Friday.
Ranger Nick Hill shared the timeline during the criminal trial of former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officer Adrian Gonzales, who is charged with child endangerment.
Officer arrival and delayed entry
According to Hill, Gonzales parked outside Robb Elementary at 11:31:55 a.m. and radioed an active shooter alert seconds later. The gunman, Salvador Ramos, entered the school just over a minute later and began firing in a hallway before moving into two adjoining classrooms.
Hill testified that Gonzales entered the school at 11:35:48 a.m.—nearly four minutes after parking his vehicle and more than two minutes after the gunman began shooting inside the classrooms.
Prosecution and defense arguments
Prosecutors argue Gonzales failed to follow his training and endangered students by not intervening sooner. They allege he retreated after other officers were wounded and did not take action to stop the gunman.
The defense counters that multiple officers arrived around the same time and that Gonzales is being unfairly singled out for a broader law enforcement failure. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty.
Scope of the shooting
Hill testified that Ramos fired a total of 173 rounds during the attack, while law enforcement officers fired 25 shots. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed.
Officer testimony supports defense claims
Former Uvalde Police Sgt. Daniel Coronado testified that Gonzales warned other officers to be cautious, saying the shooter was believed to be nearby. Coronado said Gonzales appeared concerned for officer safety based on the information available at the time.
The trial continues as jurors weigh responsibility amid one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
For more on the Gonzales’s trial on his response in the Uvalde school shooting, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.