Protection attorneys within the trial of a police officer accused of endangering kids within the Could 2022 mass capturing in Uvalde, Texas, say a key witness’ testimony in regards to the capturing modified — and prosecutors by no means informed them.
Nineteen college students and two academics had been killed within the rampage at Robb Elementary Faculty. Former Uvalde college police officer Adrian Gonzales is being tried on 29 counts of kid endangerment. He may spend the remainder of his life in jail, if convicted on all counts. He has pleaded not responsible.
Late Tuesday, after a witness acknowledged that her recounting of the capturing modified over time, protection legal professionals accused prosecutors of ambushing them by failing to reveal a major change within the testimony of a key witness.
Former Uvalde college district police officer Adrian Gonzales arrives within the courtroom on the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
Eric Homosexual/AP
In testimony earlier Tuesday on the primary day of Gonzales’ trial, former Uvalde elementary college instructor Stephanie Hale initially informed jurors that she noticed the shooter on the south facet of the Robb Elementary Faculty on the day of the capturing and remembered she and her college students being shot at.
In emotional testimony, Hale — previously a third-grade instructor on the school– mentioned her college students ran from the playground to the varsity constructing to seek out shelter.
“As we had been all working into the classroom, I noticed the — I do not know in the event you name him — horrible individual strolling,” she testified, saying she recognized the gunshots based mostly on mud kicked up.
Nonetheless, prosecutors quickly acknowledged that, in an interview with state investigators 4 days after the capturing, Hale did not point out seeing the shooter or being shot at.
A memorial devoted to the 19 kids and two adults murdered on Could 24,2022 throughout a mass capturing at Robb Elementary Faculty is seen on January 05, 2026 in Uvalde, Texas. The primary trial over legislation enforcement’s delayed response to the Uvalde college capturing started as we speak with former Uvalde colleges officer Adrian Gonzales standing trial in Corpus Christi. Gonzales faces 29 counts of kid endangerment. The trial is a uncommon case during which a legislation enforcement officer might be convicted for allegedly failing to appropriately reply to prison exercise.
Brandon Bell/Getty Pictures
“You’d agree with me in listening to the totality of your interview 4 days after that, you by no means inform the (investigator) that you simply noticed anyone that was wearing black with lengthy hair and a hearth and a gun?” a protection lawyer requested.
“Right,” she mentioned.
“You agree that you simply by no means informed him that you simply noticed filth flying up on the playground … You felt such as you had been being shot at, which was your opinion?” Hale was requested.
“Right,” she mentioned.
In keeping with protection legal professional Jason Goss, prosecutors didn’t present the required discover that Hale’s account had modified from when she spoke to investigators years later.
Legal professional Nico LaHood makes opening arguments throughout a trial for former Uvalde college district police officer Adrian Gonzales on the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
Eric Homosexual/AP
“If she did report these items to the prosecution, we had been entitled to that to organize for this. And this can be a trial by ambush,” Goss mentioned.
In a hardly ever seen transfer, Decide Sid Harle allowed Goss to cross-examine Uvalde County District Legal professional Christina Mitchell and considered one of her investigators in regards to the change in testimony.
“Neither the prosecutor nor anybody within the room thought to ask her, the place did you see the shooter? That wasn’t a query that got here up in anyone’s thoughts to ask her the place the shooter was?” Goss requested.
“You recognize, you are getting very nitpicky. Let me inform you one thing. Once we had been prepping these witnesses, I used to be working a legislation workplace,” Mitchell responded. “I used to be out and in of interviews, so I am unable to say that … I, like, ‘Oh my God,’ you recognize it wasn’t that kind of response for me.”
Decide Sid Harle oversees the trial for former Uvalde college district police officer Adrian Gonzales on the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
Eric Homosexual/AP
The decide acknowledged the potential seriousness of the difficulty and set a listening to for Wednesday afternoon. The jury is ready to return on Thursday morning.
Talking to reporters exterior courtroom, protection legal professional Nico LaHood steered that the difficulty may pressure a mistrial.
“Clearly, we’re stunned. That is nothing we may have anticipated,” he mentioned. “We now have some selections to make.”
