In a courtroom heavy with emotion, Arnulfo Reyes, the sole surviving teacher from Robb Elementary School's classroom 111, delivered chilling testimony on Monday. He described how the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022 deliberately splashed Reyes's own blood onto his face in a final act of cruelty.
A Day That Began with Celebration
Reyes told the court that May 24, 2022, started as a normal, celebratory day. His fourth-grade students had attended a year-end awards ceremony in the morning. Back in their adjoining classrooms, 111 and 112, they settled in to watch a movie. The tranquility shattered when Reyes heard loud noises, which he initially mistook for books being dropped.
As the sounds grew closer, he saw sheetrock falling from the shared wall with room 112. One of his students asked what was happening, but Reyes had no answer. He urgently instructed his pupils to hide under their tables. Moments later, the shooter entered.
The Attack and a Harrowing Pretence
The gunman first shot Reyes in the arm before turning his weapon on the children. After killing them, the shooter returned to the wounded teacher, who was lying on the ground with his eyes closed, pretending to be dead.
"He tried to taunt me," Reyes testified. "He got some of my blood and splashed it on my face." The assailant then shot Reyes in the back. Despite his severe injuries, Reyes maintained his pretence of being dead for more than an hour, waiting for police to intervene.
Trial Focuses on Police Response and Training
Reyes's testimony came during the second week of the trial for former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child endangerment and was among the first officers on the scene that day.
The prosecution argues Gonzales failed to follow his active-shooter training. In total, nearly 400 law enforcement officers converged on Robb Elementary, yet it took them 77 minutes to confront and kill the shooter. The defence contends Gonzales did the best he could with the information available at the time.
During cross-examination, defence attorney Nico Lahood questioned Reyes about why his classroom door was not locked. Reyes stated he did not know it was unlocked.
Aftermath and Ongoing Impact
The court also heard that all 11 students in room 111 died. In the adjoining room 112, eight students and two teachers were killed. Reyes, who underwent at least 10 surgeries for his injuries, testified that he still experiences pain in his arm and back in 2024.
Prior to his testimony, the court reviewed surveillance video from inside the school, though the judge barred its public release. The audio, which was heard, included relentless gunfire and a 911 call from afterschool coordinator Amy Marin-Franco, who was falsely accused of leaving an exterior door open.
Additional testimony from Texas Rangers Terry Snyder and Scott Swick emphasized standard police training to move toward the sound of gunfire and find the threat. Swick stated he "would like to think" he would have advanced toward the shooter if present that day.
