WHEN NEWS FIRST breaks of a mass shooting in the US, as has become commonplace in the country over the past few decades, there are usually scant details to go on.
The names and faces of the victims can become a nebulous cloud, because there are only tidbits of information available, like what year in school they were, or what state or city they lived in.
On Tuesday of this week, news of yet another horrific school shooting started to be reported. As it became obvious the shooting was taking place at an elementary school – the equivalent of an Irish primary school – the feeling of horror increased. Soon it became known that multiple children had died after being shot by teenager Salvador Ramos, who was carrying an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle.
Many of the parents of children at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde (population 15,000), Texas, had to wait outside for an interminable number of minutes while the shooting went on, not knowing if their child had been a target or not.
It’s an incomprehensible crime, and the latest in a protracted, ongoing ‘moment of reckoning’ for US gun laws. No major changes have been made in the wake of the hundreds of shootings that have taken place up to this latest event, and the fear is that nothing will happen now.
But behind the wrangling over gun laws and talk of politics and prayers lie the young victims of this latest horrific spree. As detail filters out bit by bit, we can now begin to see those victims for who they were: young children, at the beginning of their life, and two of their teachers, killed in an unspeakable massacre.
Here is what we know so far about the victims of the Uvalde shooting.
Alithia Ramirez
Alithia, aged 10, loved drawing, and had recently won an anti-bullying art competition. Her parents told ABC7 that they had to wait all day on Tuesday for news of whether she had survived the shooting.
Amerie Jo Garza
Amerie Jo Garza had just celebrated her 10th birthday in mid-May.
Her father Angel Garza had no news of her for hours on Tuesday.
Tragically, Garza told CNN he found out after arriving on the scene and helping another child there:
Amerie Jo Garza’s father, a med aide, says he found out she was one of the victims when he arrived on the scene and was helping another little girl covered in blood. She told him her best friend had been shot. When he asked her name, she said his daughter’s. There aren’t words. pic.twitter.com/CEH2JuseHw
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins)
Ellie Garcia
“Our Ellie was a doll and was the happiest ever,” Ellie Garcia’s father, Steven Garcia, wrote on Facebook. “I was gonna DJ for her at her party like she wanted me too!!!”
“Mom and Dad love you never forget that and please try and stay by our side,” he added.
Ellie’s mother Jennifer Lugo also posted many photos of her daughter on social media. “My heart is broken,” she wrote alongside a photo of Ellie at her first communion in 2021, dressed in white and beaming at the camera.
“I feel so numb. I miss you baby!!!!!”
Eva Mireles, teacher
Eva Mireles was one of two teachers killed by the 18-year-old gunman. Aged in her early forties, she had been teaching for 17 years.
She loved running and hiking, according to a short biography of her posted on the school website.
“She was adventurous. She is definitely going to be very missed,” her 34-year-old relative Amber Ybarra, of San Antonio, told PA.
Mireles is survived by her husband, a daughter and three pets.
Irma Garcia, teacher
Irma Garcia had been teaching for 23 years at Robb Elementary, and had been a co-teacher with Mireles for five years.
A mother of four who had been married for 24 years, Garcia loved to barbecue with her husband and to listen to music.
Her eldest son is in the US Marines, while another is attending Texas State University. Her eldest daughter is a sophomore in high school, and her youngest is in seventh grade.
Xavier Lopez
Xavier Lopez, 10, “loved to dance,” his uncle Benito Martinez told Fox News.
“Oh man, he would dance even when he sweated but he didn’t care,” Martinez said of his young, dark-haired nephew.
“This past Sunday he was at my daughter’s birthday party,” Martinez said, smiling at the memory. “He was dancing.”
Jose Flores
Ten-year-old Jose Flores “loved going to school,” his uncle Christopher Salazar told The Washington Post.
“He was a very happy little boy. He loved both his parents… and loved to laugh and have fun,” Salazar said of the fourth grader, adding: “He was very smart.”
Just hours before the shooting, Flores received an award for making the school honor roll.
Nevaeh Bravo
A grieving Esmeralda Bravo held a photograph of her granddaughter Nevaeh, one of those who died.
“This has no explanation, my granddaughter did not deserve this,” Bravo said.
“She was a good little girl, very shy and very pretty,” she added. “It means so much to me to have this support from the community, but I would rather have my granddaughter here with me.”
Makenna Lee Elrod
Makenna was also 10 years old, loved animals and to play softball and practice gymnastics. Her family told ABC News that:
“Makenna loved to write notes to her family and leave them in hidden places to be found later. Makenna was a natural leader and loved school. Makenna loved going to the ranch with her dad to feed animals and ride on the ranger. She was full of life and will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.”
Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares
The father of 10-year-old Jacklyn, Javier Cazares, described how his daughter was “full of life”.
But he told ABC News that he is holding both the police and the school responsible for the killings.
Jacklyn’s cousin, Annabell Rodriguez (10) was also killed.
“I’m a gun owner and I do not blame the weapons used in this tragedy. I’m angry how easy it is to get one and young you can be to purchase one,” said Jacinto Cazares.
Eliahna Garcia
10-year-old Eliahna loved to sing, dance and play basketball, AP reports.
Uziyah Garcia
Eight-year-old Uziyah Garcia was “the sweetest little boy that I’ve ever known”, his grandfather Manny Renfro said. They had last seen each other during spring break.
Jailah Nicole Silguero
Jailah’s mother told Univision in an interview that her 10-year-old daughter had not wanted to go to school that day. Her cousin was also killed.
Alexandria Aniyah Rubio
Kimberly Mata-Rubio, Alexandria’s mother, posted on Facebook about her daughter, saying:
“My beautiful, smart, Alexandria Aniyah Rubio was recognized today for All-A honor roll. She also received the good citizen award. We told her we loved her and would pick her up after school. We had no idea this was goodbye.”
Tess Marie Mata
Tess’s sister Faith confirmed on facebook that she had been killed.
She wrote:
My sweet baby sister, I would’ve never thought I would be typing something like this. I honestly have no words just sadness, confusion, and anger. I’m sad because we will never get to tag team on mom and dad again and tell each other how much we mean to each other, I’m confused because how can something like this happen to my sweet, caring, and beautiful sister, and I’m angry because a coward took you from us.
Eliahana Cruz Torres
Eliahana’s family shared a photo of her in her softball gear, smiling for the camera. Her grandfather confirmed to the press that she had died in the shooting.
Rojelio Torres
The death of Rojelio, who was 10, was confirmed to KSAT by his aunt, Precious Perez.
She said: “We are devastated and heartbroken. Rojer was a very intelligent, hard-working and helpful person. He will be missed and never forgotten.”
- With reporting from AFP
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