In a emotional court hearing, Adrian Gonzales, a former police officer in Uvalde, Texas, pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from his involvement in the tragic 2022 elementary school shooting that claimed the lives of 19 students. The arraignment took place on Thursday, as victims' family members tearfully urged Gonzales to apologize and remember the names of the young victims.

Gonzales, who was one of the first officers to respond to the shooting at Robb Elementary School, appeared alongside disgraced former Police Chief Pete Arredondo. Both men were indicted by a grand jury last month on felony charges including abandoning and endangering a child. The indictment came after security footage revealed that Gonzales and Arredondo, along with other officers, waited outside a classroom for over an hour while the gunman, Salvador Ramos, unleashed terror using an AR-15-style rifle.

The charges against Gonzales specifically include 29 counts of abandoning and failing to protect children. This breakdown consists of 19 charges for the children who tragically lost their lives and an additional 10 charges related to the survivors of the devastating classroom massacre.

Over 30 survivors and family members of the victims were present in the courtroom during the arraignment. Many expressed their anger and grief towards Gonzales, with some confronting him directly as he walked to his car, demanding that he apologize for his actions. One family member even flipped him off, while a friend of the families implored Gonzales to "remember their names."

Gonzales and Arredondo are currently the only officers to face criminal charges in connection with the disastrous law enforcement response to the shooting. This fact has frustrated some victims' families, who believe that more officers should be held accountable for their failures. However, Jerry Mata, whose 10-year-old daughter perished in the attack, remains determined to fight for justice for all the victims and two teachers involved.

Each of the 29 charges against Gonzales carries a possible prison term of up to two years. As the legal proceedings continue, the affected families hope to see the full extent of justice served in order to provide some degree of closure and ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.