A jury on Wednesday acquitted former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer Adrian Gonzales of all charges related to his response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in May 2022.

After more than seven hours of deliberations, jurors returned not-guilty verdicts on all 29 counts of child endangerment. As the verdict was read in court, Gonzales bowed his head. Several people in the gallery wept. He embraced his attorneys, shook hands, and appeared visibly emotional.

Gonzales was among the first law enforcement officers to arrive at the scene of the mass shooting, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed. Authorities waited 77 minutes before launching the tactical assault that ended the attack, a delay that drew national outrage and scrutiny of law enforcement response protocols.

Prosecutors argued that Gonzales failed to follow his training and endangered both the 19 students who were killed and 10 others who survived. They contended that his actions contributed to the prolonged delay in confronting the gunman.

Defense attorneys maintained that Gonzales was being unfairly singled out for systemic failures in command and communication during the chaotic response. Gonzales had pleaded not guilty.

The verdict marks a significant moment in the continuing legal and public reckoning over law enforcement’s handling of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.