AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Two indictments against former Uvalde, Texas, schools police officers are the first charges brought against law enforcement for the botched response that saw hundreds of officers wait more than an hour to confront an 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 fourth-grade students and two teachers at Robb Elementary.

For some Uvalde families, who have spent the last two years demanding police accountability, the indictments brought a mix of relief and frustration. Several wonder why more officers have not been charged for waiting to go into the classroom, where some victims lay dying or begging for assistance, to help bring a quicker end to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.

Former Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and former Officer Adrian Gonzales were indicted on June 26 by a Uvalde County grand jury on multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment over their actions and failure to immediately confront the shooter. They were among the first of nearly 400 federal, state and local officers who converged on the school that day.

“I want every single person who was in the hallway charged for failure to protect the most innocent,” said Velma Duran, whose sister Irma Garcia was one of the teachers killed. “My sister put her body in front of those children to protect them, something they could have done. They had the means and the tools to do it. My sister had her body.”

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell has not said if any other officers will be charged or if the grand jury’s work is done.

Here are some things to know about the criminal investigation into the police response:

The shooting

The gunman stormed into the school on May 24, 2022, and killed his victims in two classrooms.

More than 370 officers responded but waited more than 70 minutes to confront the shooter, even as he could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle.

Terrified students inside the classrooms called 911 as agonized parents begged for intervention by officers, some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.

Scathing state and federal investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.

The charges

The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at the shooting, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and a teacher had been shot.

Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said. The grand jury said it considered his actions criminal negligence.

Gonzales was accused of abandoning his training and not confronting the shooter, even after hearing gunshots as he stood in a hallway.

All the charges are state jail felonies that carry up to two years in jail if convicted.

Arredondo said in a 2022 interview with the Texas Tribune that he tried to “eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff.” Gonzalez’s lawyer on Friday called the charges “unprecedented in the state of Texas” and said the officer believes he did not break any laws or school district policy.

The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff’s deputy in Florida who didn’t go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired, was acquitted of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims’ families and survivors is pending.

The lawsuits

The families are pursing accountability from authorities in other state and federal courts. Several have filed multiple civil lawsuits.

Two days before the two-year anniversary of the shooting, the families of 19 victims filed a $500 million lawsuit against nearly 100 state police officers who were part of the botched response. The lawsuit accuses the troopers of not following their active shooter training and not confronting the shooter. The highest ranking Department of Public Safety official named as a defendant is South Texas Regional Director Victor Escalon.

The same families also reached a $2 million settlement with the city under which city leaders promised higher standards for hiring and training local police.

On May 24, a group of families sued Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, and the maker of the video game Call of Duty over claims the companies bear responsibility for the weapons used by the teenage gunman.

They also filed another lawsuit against gun maker Daniel Defense, which made the AR-style rifle used by the gunman.

Four-star defensive lineman Josiah Sharma has committed to Oregon over the likes of Washington, Alabama and Texas.

The 6’4, 320-pound defensive tackle had been a target of the Longhorns, as new defensive line coach Kenny Baker looked to add to his class of 2025 defensive line. Sharma has varying degrees of ratings across many sites, with composites rating him as a three-star, while places like On3 have him as high as the 83rd-rated player, and a top-seven defensive lineman in the class of 2025.

Sharma had been crystal-balled to Oregon three times today before his announcement, and it had looked to be in the Ducks’ favor after his official visit two weeks prior.

The Sacramento product is one of the many players both the Longhorns and Ducks are fighting over in the class of 2025, as three five-stars in receiver Dakorien Moore, athlete Michael Terry III, and linebacker Jonah Williams all have the two schools as their top options.

The Longhorns were hoping to add to an already successful start to the class of 2025 on the defensive line after securing commitments from defensive end Lance Jackson and defensive lineman Brandon Brown. Sharma would’ve been just the second four-star defensive line recruit, alongside Jackson, to commit to Texas in the last three classes after a successful class of 2022 that featured three separate four-stars on the defensive line.

Texas has struggled to recruit the position in the past despite the level of coaching now-LSU defensive line coach Bo Davis brought, but there is still hope for Baker to turn that around. Texas has received interest from four-star talents DJ Sanders and Smith Orogbo and is still in the running for edge rushers like Florida State commit Javion Hilson, Marco Jones, and Kamauryn Morgan. 

The stars won’t be the only part of the night sky that’s big and bright deep in the heart of Texas on the Fourth of July.

If you’re in Austin, Texas, for the holiday, there’s one party in particular worth checking out: Star Spangled Fest. The annual Fourth of July celebration takes place on Thursday, July 4, at Auditorium Shores, located at 900 W. Riverside Drive, and Vic Mathias Shores, 800 W. Riverside Drive, in Austin.

The patriotic bash is presented by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, which will perform before the Fourth of July fireworks blast off over Lady Bird Lake. While the event is entirely free and open to the public, you can drop some cash to elevate your experience at Star Spangled Fest. But we’ll get into that in a moment.

Whether you’ve never been to the Austin Symphony Orchestra’s Fourth of July bash or it’s been a minute since you last attended, allow us to fill you in on all the good fun the free event offers.

From road closures to event activities, here is everything you need to know about Star Spangled Fest, including VIP options.

When does Star Spangled Fest in Austin start?

The Fourth of July fun for Star Spangled Fest starts at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 4, when both GA (free) and VIP (ticketed) areas will open.

There will be a DJ performance at 5 p.m., followed by performances from Tameca Jones at the VIP stage on the Long Center lawn at 5:45 p.m., Bidi Bidi Banda on the main stage by Lady Bird Lake at 6:30 p.m. and Sundance Head on the main stage at 7:15 p.m. The Fourth of July ceremony will start at 8 p.m. followed by the Austin Symphony Orchestra’s free concert at 8:45 p.m.

The Fourth of July fireworks show over Lady Bird Lake will start around 9:30 p.m. Event organizers recommend attendees get familiar with the festival map before arriving. You can find the map here.

What is there to do at Austin Symphony Orchestra’s Fourth of July fest?

There will be many things to do at Star Spangled Fest before the Austin Symphony Orchestra takes the stage at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 4.

After claiming the perfect spot at Auditorium Shores or near Vic Mathias Shores, you can browse market vendor booths, enjoy some family-friendly activities like yard games, grab some grub from one of several local food trucks that will be on-site and enjoy the views of downtown Austin as various performers take the stage.

Guests also can take pictures with Santa, who will be donning summer attire. Event organizers told LoneStarLive.com that lines for photos will be shortest before 8 p.m. If this is something you want to do, be sure to get there early!

Food trucks that will be at Star Spangled Fest include Garbo’s, Dirty Dough, The Corndog Co., Southside Flying Pizza, Shawarma Point, Amy’s Ice Cream, Casey’s New Orleans Snowballs, Espadas de Brazil and Sweeter Than Sour.

There also will be multiple bars on-site for attendees ages 21 and older. If you’re looking to get a boozy drink from one of the bars at Star Spangled Fest, remember that you must consume the entirety of your alcoholic beverage in the bar areas or designated VIP areas before returning to the general event grounds.

What can I bring to the free concert and fireworks show in Austin?

Attendees can bring chairs, blankets, snacks and nonalcoholic drinks in coolers. Guests are not supposed to bring outside alcohol to the event, either. If you feel like being a risk-taker and breaking the rules, that’s entirely up to you.

Glass, grills and personal fireworks — including sparklers — are not allowed at the event. According to the official website, coolers and outside food and beverages are not permitted in VIP areas (including shoreline access) at Star Spangled Fest.

What are the different VIP options, plus the cost?

If you’d like to elevate your Fourth of July experience at the event, you have a few options. Though the event is free and open to the public, there are three types of upgrades attendees can purchase:

• Shoreline access
• VIP lawn access
• VIP reserved tables

Here is what’s included with shoreline access tickets

Shoreline access allows ticket holders to get closer to the stage where the symphony will be playing its free concert and thus closer to Vic Mathias Shores, where the fireworks show will be. These tickets also include access to air-conditioned bathrooms, private access to a cashless bar and prime proximity to food trucks.

Shoreline access tickets start at $35, plus fees. Ticket holders can bring chairs and blankets.

Here is what’s included with VIP lawn access tickets

VIP lawn access grants ticket holders the ability to set up in the VIP lawn area near the Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive, but that’s not all. Those with VIP lawn access tickets also will be able to enter the lobby of the Long Center, premium viewing of the VIP stage that’s located on the Long Center’s hillside lawn, access to air-conditioned bathrooms, lawn games and access to a private bar.

VIP lawn access tickets start at $75, plus fees. Children 10 and younger get in free.

Here is what’s included with VIP reserved tables

VIP reserved tables offer attendees a top-tier Fourth of July experience. These tickets include 10 seats at a designated VIP table, family style dinner at each table, a private bar that’s cashless, access to the Long Center’s lobby and air-conditioned bathrooms, access to the Shoreline viewing area at Vic Mathias Shores, where the fireworks show will take place, access to the VIP after party and a VIP parking pass.

You can get tickets for an entire VIP reserved table for $2,500, plus fees. Or you can reserve half of a VIP table (five seats) for $1,250, plus fees. Payments for VIP reserved tables will serve as donations to the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

You can purchase VIP tickets, including shoreline access tickets, here.

Where can I park for the Fourth of July fireworks in downtown Austin?

Road closures for Star Spangled Fest might impact how you access the event. West Riverside Drive between Lee Barton Drive and South First Street will be closed from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4.

South First Street will be closed from Cesar Chavez Street to Barton Springs Road from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4. South Congress Avenue will be closed from Cesar Chavez Street to Barton Springs Road from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., too.

The stress-free way to go, according to event organizers, is taking a rideshare or a cab to the event. Rideshare pickup and drop off will be located at the intersection of Lee Barton Road and West Riverside Drive.

Given the numerous closures, your best bet for parking will be in one of the several parking garages in downtown Austin, along Barton Springs Road and at the Long Center. Street parking will be available, too, but make sure to check signs as some street parking will be blocked off.

As a reminder, you cannot park on most streets in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood. There will be no parking signs and signs indicating residential permit parking only. If you find a spot in a nearby neighborhood, ensure you’re good to go by looking for no parking signs before leaving your car and heading to the event.

You can find road closure maps and specific parking garage information here.