College students and lecturers returned to high school Tuesday within the heartbroken group of Uvalde, Texas, for the primary time since 19 kids and two educators had been killed throughout a mass capturing at an elementary faculty in Could.
As kids return to the classroom, the city continues to mourn those that had been killed and demand accountability within the lethal capturing at Robb Elementary Faculty throughout which legislation enforcement officers waited greater than an hour earlier than coming into a fourth grade classroom the place the gunman carried out the assault.
The primary day introduced anguish for folks whose kids died within the bloodbath.
Steven Garcia, whose 9-year-old daughter, Eliahna, was killed, mentioned he was an “emotional wreck” Tuesday morning, and felt a surge of anger.
“I couldn’t struggle the tears however then I assumed again to my Ellie and know she wouldn’t need me to really feel that method,” he wrote in a submit on social media.
“Pondering of all the primary days of college with my Ellie, nobody expects to need to bury their youngster after leaving them in school!!” he mentioned in one other submit.
Jennifer Lugo, Ellie’s mom, mentioned in a submit the night time earlier than the primary day of college that her “abdomen was in an enormous knot” and she or he was positive the household can be leaving “the home with tears and never smiles.”
“I’m lacking one among my infants,” she mentioned, including that Ellie beloved faculty and was all the time excited to stand up and prepare together with her sisters.
Kimberly and Felix Rubio, whose daughter Lexi was killed, mentioned forward of the primary day of college that they had been frightened for his or her 5 different kids.
“I don’t know that the varsity district has achieved all the pieces that I’d prefer to see so far as safety measures, however I additionally realize it’s vital for the children to have some kind of routine, so attempting to steadiness what’s finest for them,” Kimberly mentioned.
Lexi has been on her thoughts, she mentioned, and assembly her youngest son’s instructor was extremely troublesome.
“It’s extremely troublesome to go on campus realizing that Lexi’s not going to be assembly a instructor this yr,” Kimberly mentioned.
College students throughout the state wore maroon to high school Tuesday in help of the Uvalde group.
Robb Elementary has not reopened because the capturing, and its surviving college students have been scattered to totally different colleges within the space. The college district additionally added a digital choice this yr for folks who did not really feel comfy sending their kids again right into a classroom.
Mother and father arriving at some native colleges Tuesday morning had been greeted with taller fences, elevated safety and cameras, a bigger legislation enforcement presence, extra counselors and even emotional help canines.
Outdoors Dalton Elementary Faculty in Uvalde, Estera Ndayi mentioned that one among her kids had attended Robb Elementary on the time of the capturing and had obtained counseling as a result of she was traumatized.
However Ndayi, whose kids are 7 and eight years previous, mentioned she felt safer with the added safety measures.
“I’m on the optimistic aspect, so I hope what occurred final yr received’t occur once more,” she mentioned. “For proper now, I believe they’re in good fingers.
Prekindergarten instructor Belinda Ramirez mentioned she wasn’t nervous in regards to the begin of the varsity yr within the shadow of the tragedy. She’s “comfortable that faculty is beginning once more,” but in addition “only a bit unhappy” for the children, she mentioned.
Her nephew attended Robb Elementary final faculty yr.
“We ask him and he simply stays quiet, so I do know he is a bit nervous. However we’re comfortable that faculty is staring again up and as soon as we begin, I believe it’ll all get higher,” she mentioned. “All of us have to only proceed to maneuver ahead.”
Late final month, Uvalde colleges police chief Pete Arredondo was fired by the Texas metropolis’s faculty board, which voted unanimously to oust him.
The embattled chief’s removing capped three months of shock over the botched legislation enforcement response to the capturing at Robb Elementary.
One hour, 14 minutes and eight seconds handed from the time police entered the constructing Could 24 till the gunman was killed, Texas Division of Public Security Director Steve McCraw has mentioned.
A scathing report launched in July by a Texas Home committee investigating the mass capturing faulted “systemic failures and egregiously poor resolution making” by legislation enforcement and the varsity district.
Priscilla Bueno and her husband, Julio, have made serving to their 10-year-old daughter’s return to high school a precedence. The lady, Madison, was at Robb Elementary the day of the capturing.
The household has enrolled Madison in a personal faculty, which they are saying made security upgrades after the capturing.
“I wish to simply shelter her, as a mother, and simply maintain her house, however after all I don’t need her to dwell in concern,” Priscilla mentioned
