Aaron Reitz declines to draw a final conclusion on the shooting
Aaron ReitzU.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
Aaron Reitz provided a preliminary federal reconstruction of the encounter but expressly declined to draw a final conclusion while the investigation continued.
“I want to reiterate: This assessment is based on preliminary information given to my office. We draw no decisive conclusions and believe federal law enforcement will conduct a thorough investigation.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Was ICE justified in fatally shooting Lorenzo Salgado Araujo?
On July 7, 2026, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Houston construction contractor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an attempted vehicle stop. ICE said the officer fired in self-defense after Salgado Araujo tried to run over an officer with his van. Passengers said no officer was in the van’s path and that Salgado Araujo had stopped before the shot. A later Justice Department account described possible vehicle movement with an officer beside or partly inside the van but expressly reserved any final conclusion.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Official preliminary federal reconstruction. Reitz expressly reserved judgment and said the account was not a final conclusion.
Before the quotation
Reitz described preliminary information indicating that the van shifted from reverse to forward while an officer was partly inside or immediately beside it and that an officer then fired one shot.
After the quotation
He said his office was seeking the truth and urged the public to give the FBI and DHS an opportunity to complete their investigations.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether the fatal use of force was justified, Reitz expressly states that his office draws no decisive conclusion. His preliminary reconstruction supplies context but does not replace that explicit refusal to reach a final judgment.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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“While the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was the most horrific instance of criminality federal agents committed in Houston”Read statement
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- Aaron Reitz declines to draw a final conclusion on the shooting
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The Dispute Index. "Aaron Reitz declines to draw a final conclusion on the shooting". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1408-aaron-reitz-provided-a-preliminary-federal-reconstruction-of