On Tuesday, 21 people were killed during a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The school, which only has second, third, and fourth grade students, was scheduled to have its last day of the year on Thursday. The deaths of 21 people make it the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.
With a population of just over 15,000, Uvalde is a small town located about 90 miles west of San Antonio. The shooting’s only adult victims were Eva Mireles, a fourth-grade teacher who died “trying to protect her students,” according to The New York Times, and her co-teacher, Irma Garcia. Per NBC News, Garcia’s son stated that a friend in law enforcement at the scene saw Garcia shielding her students.
But the deaths of 19 children are the most haunting aspect of Tuesday’s shooting. Those killed include Amerie Jo Garza, who was shot when she tried calling 911 to save her classmates; Xavier Lopez, whose mother was at the school just hours before to attend his award’s ceremony; and Rojelio Torres, whose aunt described him as a “very intelligent, hard-working, and helpful person.” They were all in fourth grade.
Online, family member’s of Tuesday’s shooting victims have made numerous posts in their memories.
