In brief
Arnulfo Reyes offered a harrowing testimony at the trial of Adrian Gonzales, a former school police officer accused of failing to engage the gunman during the Uvalde school shooting that left 19 students and 2 teachers dead. Reyes, who was shot during the attack, described witnessing the shooter and praying for the ordeal to end. The courtroom heard emotional accounts alongside surveillance footage of the event, raising serious discussions about law enforcement's response to active shooter situations.
During the fifth day of the trial concerning the Uvalde school shooting, teacher Arnulfo Reyes recounted a dramatic and emotional testimony about his first-hand experience during the attack at Robb Elementary School in Texas. Reyes described how the chilling sight of a ‘black shadow’ wielding a gun entered his classroom, a moment that shattered the sense of safety for both him and his students.
‘When I fell, he came around and he shot the kids,’ Reyes testified, his voice breaking as he relived the moments of horror during the shooting. Despite being shot in the arm and back, Reyes recounted praying for divine intervention: ‘I gave myself to the Lord ... and waited for everything to be over.’ Unfortunately, none of the children in his classroom survived the tragic incident.
The trial revolves around former school police officer Adrian Gonzales, who faces 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment, having allegedly failed to take action to stop the gunman, Salvador Ramos, during those critical moments of the attack. As prosecutors lay bare the harrowing details of that day, evidence presented included graphic audio recordings of emergency calls and unsettling visuals of the school’s interior during the aftermath of the shooting.
‘I looked at my door and that’s when I saw him... a black shadow. The black shadow was holding a gun. I just saw the fire come out of the gun,’ Reyes said, recounting the piercing terror felt as the shooter fired at him.
This trial represents a significant milestone in legal proceedings against law enforcement officials, showcasing the delicate balance of accountability and public safety during moments of extreme crisis.
