The trial of a former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer is set to begin with opening statements on Tuesday. He stands accused of failing to take necessary actions during the tragic 2022 shooting that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers.

Adrian Gonzales has entered a not guilty plea to 29 charges of child abandonment or endangerment stemming from the incident at Robb Elementary. If found guilty, he faces a potential sentence of up to two years in prison.

The charges against Gonzales allege that he placed children in “imminent danger” by not confronting or delaying the shooter, and by failing to adhere to his training. The indictment claims he ignored gunfire and did not pursue the shooter even after being informed of the shooter’s whereabouts.

During the ordeal, frightened students made desperate 911 calls from inside the classrooms, while parents outside pleaded for police intervention. Some officers reportedly heard gunshots as they remained in a hallway, The Associated Press noted. An investigation revealed that a staggering 77 minutes elapsed from the arrival of authorities to the moment a tactical team entered a classroom and neutralized the shooter, identified as Salvador Ramos.

Adrian Gonzales, once a school police officer in Uvalde, Texas, is pictured next to a memorial honoring the 19 children and two adults who lost their lives on May 24, 2022, during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. (Courtesy of Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office/AP/Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Gonzales’ attorney has said the officer tried to save the children that day. According to a state review, Gonzales told investigators that once police realized there were students still sitting in other classrooms, he helped evacuate them. 

Gonzales and former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo are the only two officers to face criminal charges over the response. Arredondo’s trial has not been scheduled. 

Officials monitor a line outside the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, where jury selection begins for the State of Texas v. Adrian Gonzales, a former police officer for schools in Uvalde, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.  (Eric Gay/AP)

At the request of Gonzales’ attorneys, the trial was moved to Corpus Christi after they argued Gonzales could not receive a fair trial in Uvalde. 

The trial is expected to last about two weeks, Judge Sid Harle said. Before seating the jury Monday, he told several hundred potential jurors that the court was not looking for those who know nothing about the shooting but wants jurors who can be impartial. 

Among the potential witnesses are FBI agents, Texas Rangers, emergency dispatchers and school employees. Families of students killed in the massacre are also among those who could testify.

Twelve jurors have been selected for the case, along with four alternates, FOX7 Austin reported.

Crosses with the names of shooting victims are placed outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 26, 2022.  (Jae C. Hong/AP/File)

The outlet added that opening statements are set to begin Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. local time.