At a Glance
- Teacher Arnulfo Reyes testified he saw a “black shadow” with a gun enter his classroom at Robb Elementary.
- Reyes was shot in the arm and back; none of his students in Room 111 survived.
- The testimony came during the trial of former officer Adrian Gonzales, who faces 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment.
- Why it matters: The trial could set precedent for holding officers criminally liable for inaction during mass shootings.
A teacher who survived the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting told a jury the attack began when he saw a “black shadow” with a gun walk into his classroom and open fire. Arnulfo Reyes, shot twice, prayed for the ordeal to end as the gunman killed every student in the room.
Reyes took the stand on the fifth day of the trial for Adrian Gonzales, a former Uvalde schools police officer charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty; prosecutors say he failed to act when he had chances to stop the shooter.
“A Black Shadow” Enters the Classroom
Reyes described the moment the gunman appeared.
> “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.”
The first bullet struck his arm.
> “That’s when I fell to the ground. When I fell, he came around and he shot the kids.”
The gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, circled back and shot Reyes in the back. While pretending to be dead, Reyes heard taunts from the shooter and more gunfire in the adjoining classroom.
> “I gave myself to the Lord … and waited for everything to be over.”
Surveillance Video Shown to Court
Just before Reyes testified, jurors watched surveillance footage of Ramos entering the school and firing. The judge warned the images and sounds would be graphic. Adrian Gonzales, seated in court, showed no emotion as emergency calls played and a woman screamed, “get in your room!” He flinched when shots rang out and covered his mouth with his left hand.
Focus on Officer’s Inaction
Prosecutors argue Gonzales abandoned active-shooter training by not engaging or distracting the gunman while still outside the building. They say he failed again minutes later when a group of officers entered the school but retreated under heavy gunfire.
Gonzales was among the first of more than 370 federal, state, and local responders. It took more than an hour for a tactical team to kill the gunman.
The trial, held in Corpus Christi, Texas, centers on Gonzales’ decisions, not the broader law-enforcement response. Prosecutors displayed school portraits of each of the 19 students and 2 teachers killed, asking Reyes to name them and confirm they died.
Defense Points to Unlocked Doors
On cross-examination, defense attorneys noted the exterior school doors and Reyes’ classroom door were unlocked, violating policy. Reyes said he believed his door was locked.
Reyes did not mention Gonzales during direct testimony; he recalled only encountering a Border Patrol officer after the shooting stopped. His testimony is scheduled to continue Tuesday.
Rare Criminal Case Against Officer
The proceeding is a rare instance where a police officer faces criminal charges for allegedly failing to stop a crime and protect lives. Only two responders-Gonzales and former Uvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo-have been charged; Arredondo’s trial date has not been set.
Earlier trial days included emergency-call replays, teacher accounts of sheltering students, and a victim’s mother describing her daughter’s request to leave school early. Jurors have seen graphic photos from inside the classrooms and heard 911 calls students made while trapped with the shooter.
