School shooting…another school shooting. Young children and teachers killed…again. A fourth-grade classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; where an 18-year-old lunatic gunman locked himself in and proceeded to kill 2 teachers and their innocent children.
As a parent, you hear this and your heart drops. Your eyes fill with tears. Your heart is filled with shock, anger, and disgust. You ask yourself, why does this happen? When will this end? When will the world change? When will God step in? When will the government officials stop pointing fingers at each other and work together and come up with a better system?
As you see the news, you saw the parent of the students of Robb Elementary, desperately awaiting news on their children while they are on lockdown. Uvalde is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the Mexican border. Robb Elementary, which has nearly 600 students in second, third and fourth grades, is a single-story brick structure in a mostly residential neighborhood of modest homes.
You hear the death toll rising. Parents are crying while being interviewed or some can’t speak at all, so they have a family member speak for them because they are overcome with grief. Vigils are being held.
Then, you hear about the shooter and how he sent messages on Facebook of his plan minutes before he executed it. He shot his grandmother in the face before he arrived at the school. However, I get annoyed, and I understand the media is doing their job, but they focus so much on who the shooter was, how they got the gun, basically describing the entire plan, etc.; to the point where they become infamous and then you see copycats pop up. You wish they wouldn’t focus so much on that.
Yes, I am well aware the shooter was being bullied, but he shot innocent victims. There was no resolution to his problem but murderous cowardness.
Sadly, as you read or hear more stories, you hear of the heroic efforts of Eva Mireles, the fourth-grade teacher who died heroically shielding her fourth-grade students from a barrage of bullets. Mireles’ co-teacher, 46-year-old mom of four Irma Garcia, was also killed. According to witness accounts, she too died protecting her students from the shooter.
You see and hear the families mourning the loss of their beautiful babies. How will they go on? These angels who did not deserve to die this way.
Uziyah Garcia, 8 – known as a sweet boy and an adept football player
Xavier Lopez, 10 – enjoyed life and loved to dance
Amerie Jo Garza, 10 – Just received her honor roll certificate hours before she was killed. She attempted to call 911 to save her classmates.
Jose Flores Jr., 10 – killed hours after receiving his honor roll certificate.
Alithia Ramirez, 10 – just turned ten days before. Her family still had balloons decorating their home from her party.
Annabell Rodriguez, 10, and Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, 10 – two cousins in the same class. Their aunt had to identify them.
Jailah Nicole Silguero, 11 and Jayce Carmelo Silguero, 11 – Veronica Luevanos, whose 10-year-old daughter, Jaliah Nicole Silguero, was among the victims, told Univision in a tearful interview that her daughter did not want to go to school Tuesday and that the girl seemed to sense something was going to happen. They were both described as beautiful baby angels by their family.
Eliahana Cruz Thomas, 10 – Adolfo Cruz spent more than 10 hours standing outside of Robb Elementary to find answers about his granddaughter, Eliahana Cruz Torres.
Eliahna “Ellie” Garcia, 10 – loved to dance, play sports and loved her family
Rojelio Torres, 10 – described as very smart and loving.
Jacklyn Cazares, 10 – described by her family as full of life and love.
Navaeah Bravo, 10 – loving child.
Tess Mata, 10 – had a jar full of cash she was saving to go to Disney World. Described as a joy to be around.
Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio, 10 – Athletic girl who played basketball and softball. Just made the honor roll. Described as a loving and sweet girl
It is like watching Sandy Hook and Parkland happen all over again. You pray for the victims and their families. You pray for God to give them the strength to go on. You hold your little ones a little tighter than usual. You cry and worry when you drop your child off at school.
Now our children have to practice drills with their teacher with the understanding this is an actual real situation which could possibly happen in their school. You hear words like lockdown and the color codes and what they mean. Code Red: lockdown. Only police may move about the campus. Code Black: Bomb Threat. Code Yellow: Lockdown. Only the school’s safe team may move about campus.
I remember when I was these children’s age, the scariest moments in school were when the fire drill went off because of a prank, but we never thought it was a real fire. It also reminds me of when during the early 1950s, schools across the United States were training students to dive under their desks and cover their heads. The now-infamous duck-and-cover drills simulated what should be done in case of an atomic attack —and channeled a growing panic over an escalating arms race. My mother and father repeatedly had to do this when they were in school.
It is absolutely terrifying. Our children are going to school and there is a possibility of never coming home. As parents, our hearts break for these families. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.
Where do we go from here? I don’t know. Usually, I try to end my blogs with encouragement, but today I can’t. I am just sad. And I will continue to pray
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