Yannick Izabayo
Desperation turned to heart-wrenching sorrow for families of grade schoolers killed after an 18-year-old gunman barricaded himself in their Texas classroom and began shooting, killing at least 19 children and their two teachers.
By Wednesday morning, many were facing the grim reality of an unimaginable horror as the names of the young victims of Tuesday’s shooting at Robb Elementary School in the southwestern town of Uvalde began to emerge.
Among them were relatives of 10-year-old Eliahna Garcia, who learned late Tuesday that she was among those killed, said her aunt, Siria Arizmemdi.
“She was very happy and very outgoing,” said Arizmendi, a fifth-grade teacher at Flores Elementary School in the same school district. “She loved to dance and play sports. She was big into family, enjoyed being with the family.”
Veronica Luevanos, whose 10-year-old daughter, Jaliah Nicole Silguero, was among the victims, tearfully told Univision that her daughter did not want to go to school Tuesday and that the girl seemed to sense something was going to happen. Jaliah’s cousin also died in the shooting.
All of the dead were in the same fourth-grade classroom, where the shooter barricaded himself and opened fire on the children and teachers, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told a news conference Wednesday. He said the gunman used one weapon and posted on Facebook shortly before the shooting, “I’m going to shoot an elementary school.”
Schools Superintendent Hal Harrell fought back tears as he spoke of the children and their teachers.
“You can just tell by their angelic smiles that they were loved,” Harrell said of the children. “That they loved coming to school, that they were just precious individuals.”
The two teachers “poured their heart and soul” into their work, he said.
Vincent Salazar’s 10-year-old daughter, Layla, was among those killed. She loved to swim and dance to videos on TikTok, her father said. An avid runner, she won six races at the school’s field day, and Salazar proudly posted a photo of Layla showing off two of her ribbons on Facebook.
Each morning as he drove her to school in his pickup, Salazar would play “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” by Guns ‘n’ Roses and they’d sing along, he said. She was excited about seeing the new Marvel movie, “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
“She was just a whole lot of fun,” he said.
Manny Renfro said he got word Tuesday that his grandson, 8-year-old Uziyah Garcia, was among those killed.
“The sweetest little boy that I’ve ever known,” Renfro said. “I’m not just saying that because he was my grandkid.”
Renfro said Uziyah last visited him in San Angelo during spring break. “We started throwing the football together and I was teaching him pass patterns. Such a fast little boy and he could catch a ball so good,” Renfro said. “There were certain plays that I would call that he would remember and he would do it exactly like we practiced.”
Lisa Garza, 54, of Arlington, Texas, mourned the death of her 10-year-old cousin, Xavier Javier Lopez, who had been eagerly awaiting a summer of swimming.
“He was just a loving … little boy, just enjoying life, not knowing that this tragedy was going to happen,” she said. “He was very bubbly, loved to dance with his brothers, his mom. This has just taken a toll on all of us.”
She also lamented what she described as lax gun laws.
“We should have more restrictions, especially if these kids are not in their right state of mind and all they want to do is just hurt people, especially innocent children going to the schools,” Garza said.
Arizmendi also spoke angrily, through tears, about how the shooter managed to get a gun.
“It’s just difficult to understand or to put into words,” she said. “I just don’t know how people can sell that type of a gun to a kid 18 years old. What is he going to use it for but for that purpose?”
Slain fourth-grade teacher Eva Mireles, 44, was remembered as a loving mother and wife. “She was adventurous. … She is definitely going to be very missed,” said 34-year-old relative Amber Ybarra, of San Antonio.
As Ybarra prepared to give blood for the wounded, she wondered how no one noticed trouble with the shooter in time to stop him.
“To me, it’s more about raising mental health awareness,” said Ybarra, a wellness coach who attended Robb Elementary herself. “Someone could possibly have seen a dramatic change before something like this happened.”
In a post on the school’s website at the start of the school year, Mireles had introduced herself to her new students.
“Welcome to the 4th grade! We have a wonderful year ahead of us!” she wrote, noting she had been teaching 17 years, loved running and hiking, and had a “supportive, fun, and loving family.” She mentioned that her husband was a school district police officer, and they had a grown daughter and three “furry friends.”
In the hours after the shooting, pictures of smiling children were posted on social media, their families begging for information. Classes had been winding down for the year and each school day had a theme. Tuesday’s was Footloose and Fancy, and students were supposed to wear a nice outfit with fun or fancy shoes.
At a civic center where desperate relatives had gathered for news late Tuesday, one man walked away sobbing into his phone: “She is gone.” Behind the building, a woman stood alone, alternately crying and yelling into her phone, shaking her fist and stamping her feet.
Even for the survivors, there was grief.
Lorena Auguste was substitute teaching at Uvalde High School when she heard about the shooting. She began frantically texting her niece, a fourth-grader at Robb Elementary, until Auguste heard from her sister that the child was OK.
Auguste said her niece asked her that night, “Tia, why did they do this to us? We’re good kids, we didn’t do anything wrong.”
Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home, which is located across the street from Robb Elementary School, said in a Facebook post that it would be assisting families of the shooting victims with no cost for funerals.
President Biden addresses deadly Texas elementary school shooting | full video
(AP)
There does exist a dude trying to get elected to Congress in California called Mr. Collins looking to supply a 25 boost in shell out for instructors and deal with our education and learning system! Our primary or secondary schools are overfull, our school staff are overworked, and our children are dropping back. Joe E Collins 3 Education and learning initiative suggests it’s supposed to fund to restore our educational institutions, help to reduce class sizes, raise financing for special education courses and Not one of these other regretful legislators have strategy to assist our students, we must to give this person a chance! His website is https://bit.ly/3dcobin vote for Collins
Magnificent beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your web site, how can i subscribe for a
blog web site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of
this your broadcast offered bright clear idea
I really like what you guys are usually
up too. This kind of clever work and reporting!
Keep up the fantastic works guys I’ve added you guys to my personal blogroll.
It’s nearly impossible to find educated people for this topic, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
Wow, this piece of writing is pleasant, my younger sister is
analyzing these things, thus I am going to inform her.
Hey there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche.
Your blog provided us beneficial information to work
on. You have done a outstanding job!
Hi there! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any tips?
Hello, i feel that i saw you visited my web site so i got here to return the want?.I’m attempting to to
find things to improve my web site!I assume
its adequate to make use of some of your concepts!!
I simply could not leave your web site prior to suggesting that I really enjoyed the usual information an individual provide
to your guests? Is going to be back incessantly
to inspect new posts
Good way of explaining, and nice article to take data concerning my presentation subject matter, which i am going to convey in college.
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading
it, you could be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will come back
at some point. I want to encourage you to definitely continue your great posts,
have a nice afternoon!
Hello, always i used to check web site posts here in the early hours in the daylight,
as i enjoy to find out more and more.
You are so cool! I don’t suppose I’ve read anything like that before.
So wonderful to find someone with some unique thoughts on this issue.
Seriously.. thanks for starting this up. This website is one thing that is needed on the web, someone with some originality!
Hello, this weekend is pleasant in support
of me, for the reason that this moment i am reading this impressive informative post here
at my house.
Wow, marvelous blog format! How lengthy have you been blogging for?
you make blogging look easy. The entire glance of your web site is wonderful, let alone the content!
Hey! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone 3gs!
Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to
all your posts! Carry on the great work!
I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well as
with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify
it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a great
blog like this one nowadays.
Hi there, You’ve done an excellent job. I’ll definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends.
I am sure they will be benefited from this web site.
Hi there colleagues, its impressive article about tutoringand completely explained, keep it up all the time.
What’s up friends, nice post and nice urging commented here, I am genuinely enjoying by these.
Hi there, You’ve done an incredible job. I will certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends.
I am confident they’ll be benefited from this website.
Fantastic web site. Plenty of helpful information here.
I am sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious.
And of course, thanks on your sweat!
My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different website and thought I might
check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you.
Look forward to exploring your web page yet again.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve
truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again very
soon!
Hi, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has
some overlapping. I just wanted to give you
a quick heads up! Other then that, great blog!
Amazing! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a totally different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Wonderful choice of colors!
Everything is very open with a really clear explanation of the issues.
It was really informative. Your website is very useful.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi there i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anyplace, when i read this piece of writing i thought i could
also make comment due to this good post.
I am no longer certain where you are getting your info, but good topic.
I needs to spend some time studying more or understanding more.
Thanks for wonderful information I was looking for
this information for my mission.
Hurrah! At last I got a webpage from where I
know how to really take useful data regarding my study and knowledge.
Hi my family member! I want to say that this post is awesome, nice written and come
with approximately all vital infos. I’d like to peer extra posts like this .
Hello my friend! I want to say that this article is awesome, nice
written and come with almost all significant infos. I’d like to look more posts like this .
Simply wish to say your article is as astonishing. The
clearness in your post is simply spectacular and i could assume you’re an expert on this subject.
Fine with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to
keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue
the gratifying work.
you’re in point of fact a just right webmaster. The website loading pace is incredible.
It sort of feels that you are doing any distinctive trick.
Also, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve done a wonderful
activity in this subject!
I do consider all of the ideas you have offered to your
post. They’re very convincing and can definitely work. Nonetheless, the
posts are very short for newbies. May just you please prolong them a bit from subsequent time?
Thank you for the post.
Superb website you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics discussed in this article?
I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get responses
from other experienced individuals that share the same interest.
If you have any recommendations, please let me know.
Thanks a lot!
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Perfectly written!
I enjoy what you guys are up too. Such clever work
and coverage! Keep up the good works guys I’ve added
you guys to blogroll.
For hottest news you have to visit web and on world-wide-web
I found this website as a finest site for most up-to-date updates.
The other day, while I was at work, my sister stole my iphone and tested
to see if it can survive a twenty five foot drop, just so she can be a
youtube sensation. My iPad is now broken and she
has 83 views. I know this is completely off topic but I had
to share it with someone!
I am truly thankful to the owner of this website who has
shared this enormous paragraph at here.
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent blog.
I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to revisit yet again since
I book-marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change,
may you be rich and continue to guide other people.
Hurrah! At last I got a weblog from where I be able
to genuinely obtain useful information regarding my study and knowledge.
This piece of writing will assist the internet users for creating
new web site or even a weblog from start to end.
This is a very good tip especially to those new to
the blogosphere. Short but very accurate information… Thanks for sharing this one.
A must read post!
bookmarked!!, I like your website!
Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this website.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get
that “perfect balance” between superb usability and visual appeal.
I must say that you’ve done a amazing job with this.
Additionally, the blog loads super quick for me on Firefox.
Excellent Blog!
whoah this weblog is wonderful i like studying your articles.
Stay up the good work! You already know, many individuals are hunting
round for this information, you can aid them greatly.
Good day! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of
my good old room mate! He always kept chatting
about this. I will forward this write-up to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read.
Thank you for sharing!
Basically needed to emphasize Now i’m thrilled that i came on the webpage! [url=http://0522445518.ussoft.kr/g5-5.0.13/bbs/board.php?bo_table=board01&wr_id=451364]Periplum in Italien erhältlich[/url]
Наша группа квалифицированных специалистов проштудирована предъявить вам передовые системы, которые не только предоставят надежную безопасность от холодильности, но и подарят вашему жилищу изысканный вид.
Мы деятельны с последовательными веществами, гарантируя долгий запас службы и блестящие результаты. Изоляция наружных стен – это не только экономия тепла на обогреве, но и ухаживание о природной среде. Энергоэффективные разработки, какие мы осуществляем, способствуют не только дому, но и поддержанию природы.
Самое центральное: [url=https://ppu-prof.ru/]Стоимость утепления дома[/url] у нас открывается всего от 1250 рублей за кв. м.! Это бюджетное решение, которое изменит ваш дом в действительный тепловой уголок с минимальными затратами.
Наши пособия – это не всего лишь теплоизоляция, это составление площади, в где каждый элемент отражает ваш персональный манеру. Мы примем во внимание все твои желания, чтобы осуществить ваш дом еще более дружелюбным и привлекательным.
Подробнее на [url=https://ppu-prof.ru/]ppu-prof.ru[/url]
Не откладывайте дела о своем доме на потом! Обращайтесь к профессионалам, и мы сделаем ваш дом не только тепличным, но и стильным. Заинтересовались? Подробнее о наших услугах вы можете узнать на веб-сайте. Добро пожаловать в пространство уюта и качества.
Take on rivals and show your mastery in gaming Hawkplay