FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Brent Renaud was a Little Rock native and acclaimed filmmaker. On Sunday, he and photographer Juan Arredondo attempted to cross a bridge checkpoint near Kyiv, Ukraine, when Russian forces opened fire on their vehicle.
Arredondo survived the attack, but Renaud was killed.
Renaud was a veteran journalist who was no stranger to reporting from conflict zones. Bo Mattingly, a long-time friend, and colleague of Renaud, says that he would have known the risks of reporting from Ukraine.
"It wasn't like he was a wild dare-devil that just ran into trouble," Mattingly said. "He just had this knack, and gift, and ability to be able to find his way into situations that seem impossible to get into and then have a camera with him and be able to show that with the rest of the world."
Sharing real-world, authentic situations was a passion for Renaud.
From reporting in conflict zones to the impacts of the COVID-19 as the virus began to circumnavigate the globe, Renaud could be found on the front lines of coverage. When he wasn't bringing these stories to viewers worldwide, Renaud worked on another passion, sports.
Mattingly and Renaud had recently worked on an upcoming college football series set to air this fall on ESPN+.
"We texted just a few days ago. I said, 'I've got details, and let's get it locked down.' I had no idea he was in Ukraine," Mattingly said.
Renaud alerted Mattingly to his location by sending him this photo of Arredondo from outside Kyiv.
"My response back was, 'wow,' I didn't even think to say, 'be careful," Mattingly said.
Mattingly went on to say that Renaud believed he would be back home later this week.
Renaud leaves behind a lasting legacy that touched many lives despite the tragedy. Renaud and his brother, Craig, founded the Little Rock Film Festival, showcasing and inspiring filmmakers to follow their dreams.
Beyond that, Renaud was an avid Razorback fan and spent six months in 2019 as a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville – helping influence student journalists as they find their path to leave a legacy of their own.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his condolences to Renaud's family and loved ones on Twitter.
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