Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes ofwebsite accessibility

El Paso newspaper photographer describes capturing first moments of Aug. 3 shooting


El Paso photographer recalls documenting the first moments of the Walmart shooting (credit: KFOX14/CBS4){p}{/p}
El Paso photographer recalls documenting the first moments of the Walmart shooting (credit: KFOX14/CBS4)

Facebook Share IconTwitter Share IconEmail Share Icon

Tuesday marks two years since tragedy struck El Paso and when one of the safest cities in America became the site of a deadly mass shooting.

On that day, a local news photographer captured the first images of the scene and documented the community coming together as one in the days that followed.

“I had to do it. I was the only one there in the media at that time. I wish it didn’t happen, of course, but it did,” Armando Vela said.

Vela has worked as a photojournalist in El Paso for nearly 2 decades but says of all the stories he’s covered, the August 3 shooting was the most significant event in his career.

“A shooter? I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe it. I look at Walmart and I see people rushing out of the store, coming towards Sam's and I go ‘oh my god maybe it’s true,' "Vela said.

One by one, Vela saw shoppers and employees running out of the Cielo Vista Walmart. Vela said first responders and bystanders were pushing shopping carts filled with victims.

I had lost it at that point. Seeing those people was too much. I couldn’t gain my composure, Vela said.

Inside the store, the gunman managed to kill 23 people and injure dozens more.

“I saw firsthand all of what he caused, the damage he caused. At that point, I knew I had to document it because I am a photojournalist,” Vela said.

Vela wasn’t assigned to work that day but believes him being there was no coincidence. He captured the first images of the shooting and saw everything unfold through a different lens.

Inside of his home sits a room dedicated to his career. 17 years worth of stories, both good and bad. But, even as an experienced journalist, Vela still struggles with what he captured that day.

I saw what true hate is and it shook me bad. I went to counseling and it’s been 2 years and I still have trouble talking about it,”Vela said.

On the anniversary of the shooting, Vela remembers and revisits those moments.

“I just imagine how the families must feel now after 2 years. It’s still very, very vivid in my mind,” Vela said.

The pictures and videos that vela took that day have been shared all around the world.

On Tuesday, he spent his time working at different events across the city, honoring the victims of the shooting.

To view other related August 3, 2019 mass shooting stories, visit our El Paso Shooting section.

RECOMMENDED: Walmart shooting victims honored in dedication ceremony at Healing Garden

Sign up to receive the topmost interesting stories from in and around our community once a day to your inbox.

Loading ...