UVALDE, Texas — Growing up in this small ranching town, Juan Martinez knew he wanted nothing more than to stay.
It's a conservative, majority Latino town where family and faith are everything. Churches in Uvalde post signs reminding residents to pray, alongside stores advertising "liquor/guns."
The pull of family is strong — stronger than the lure of San Antonio about 80 miles to the east on Highway 90 or of the quintessential Texas oilfields to the north and west or Mexico 60 miles southwest, where many families trace their roots.
