A former school police officer from Uvalde has spoken publicly for the first time following his acquittal, nearly four years after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School, which claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers.

Adrian Gonzales faced 29 charges of child abandonment or endangerment related to the incident. In his initial interview post-acquittal, Gonzales expressed no remorse for his actions on May 24, 2022.

The jury reached their decision after seven hours of deliberation. Gonzales chose not to testify during the trial, where his defense presented testimony from two witnesses.

Adrian Gonzales, formerly with the Uvalde school district police, exits the courtroom during a recess at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP)

An investigation revealed it took 77 minutes from the arrival of law enforcement at the scene to the moment the tactical team entered the classroom and neutralized the shooter. The police response has been heavily criticized in the years following the incident.

“You can sit here and tell me all you want about what I would have done, or what you would have done. Until you’re in that mix, you can’t tell me anything,” Gonzales told ABC News.

Gonzales was the first on the scene at Robb Elementary School when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos carried out his deadly attack. The former school police officer told ABC News that he did not see Ramos and that he retreated from inside the school building because of an order from his commanding officer.

“I did the best that I could with the information I was getting,” he said, adding, “I don’t regret it, because I took an order from my chief at that time.”

Attorney Nico LaHood makes opening arguments during a trial for former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP)

While he stands behind the actions he took during the shooting, Gonzales told ABC News that he understands that the victims’ families were frustrated with the verdict. He also said that he prays for the victims, their families and the community.

The 52-year-old former officer told ABC News that he believes he was selectively prosecuted, while others who arrived at the scene did not have their actions scrutinized.

“When the videos started playing, I realized that they handpicked me,” he told ABC News. “They had an excuse for everybody else. They did this, they did that, you know, but I had to do this, I had to do that.”

Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales, right, and his attorney Nico LaHood, left, arrive in the courtroom at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP)

After the verdict, Gonzales thanked God, his family, his legal team and the jury.

“First things first, I want to start by thanking God for this,” Gonzales said. “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 their verdict.”

Former Uvalde Schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo was also criminally charged in relation to the 2022 shooting. He was charged with endangerment or abandonment of a child and has pleaded not guilty. A date for Arredondo’s trial has not yet been set.