A California school safety officer admitted guilt to voluntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a 18-year-old individual.
Eddie Gonzalez is lined up for sentencing on October 8, with a potential sentence ranging from three to six years in prison, according to Pamela J. Johnson, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, as reported by CNN.
The sentence comes roughly four months after a mistrial was declared in Gorzalez's murder trial, when the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
On September 27, 2021, Gonzalez, a school safety officer, was patrolling the area near Millikan High School in Long Beach. He witnessed a disagreement between Manuela Rodriguez, 18, and a 15-year-old girl, as per the police. As Rodriguez and two others attempted to flee in a nearby vehicle, Gonzalez allegedly discharged his firearm at the car, striking Rodriguez in the front passenger seat, according to the police.
Rodriguez was taken to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries a week later. She leaves behind a 5-month-old son.
Following the incident, Gonzalez was let go for violating the district's use-of-force policy, which advises safety officers not to shoot at fleeing individuals, moving vehicles, or through vehicle windows unless the situation warrants using a firearm as the last resort for self-defense, as per the policy. He was charged with murder a month post the shooting.
George Gascon, the district attorney, commented, "We must hold responsible those entrusted to safeguard us, particularly those we commonly rely on to ensure our children's safety at school."
Last year, Rodriguez's family agreed to a $13 million settlement with the Long Beach Unified School District in their civil case. The district stated that the settlement was not an admission of liability.
At the time, Rodriguez's mother, Manuela Sahagun, expressed her sentiments, "I don't understand how I'm still here, how to carry on without my baby girl. She was everything to me. All I desire is justice – justice for my baby girl."
During the April trial, seven jurors wanted to convict Gorzalez for murder, whereas five wanted to convict him for voluntary manslaughter, as per the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.
CNN reached out to Gonzalez's attorney for comment.
The case against Gorzalez comes at a time of debate in US school districts about the presence of armed officers in schools. Some argue that the law enforcement presence can protect students against gun violence, while others express concerns about police misconduct and the acceleration of the school-to-prison pipeline.
In an attempt to prevent school shootings in California, a bill was proposed earlier this year that failed to pass. It suggested mandating armed officers in all K-12 schools across the state. At present, California law permits school districts to decide whether to hire or contract for armed law enforcement officers or unarmed security officers.
In contrast, some local campaigns in California school districts intend to remove school police, who are believed to disproportionately target Black and Latino students.
The ACLU of California published a report in 2021, warning that having more police officers in public schools could have negative consequences for students. The study found that Latino students' arrest rates were 6.9 times higher and Black students' arrest rates were 7.4 times higher in schools with assigned law enforcement than in schools without. Additionally, it revealed that these groups were more likely to be referred to law enforcement.
A report published by the National Center for Education Statistics in July indicated that approximately 45% of US public schools reported having sworn law enforcement officers who routinely carry firearms.
In the ongoing debate about armed officers in US school districts, some argue that their presence can protect students, while others express concerns about police misconduct and the school-to-prison pipeline. Eddie Gonzalez, the school safety officer in question, was let go for violating the district's use-of-force policy, highlighting the potential issues with this presence.
Despite the controversy, 45% of US public schools reported having sworn law enforcement officers who routinely carry firearms, as mentioned in a recent report.
