Irma Garcia, Xavier Lopez, Amerie Jo Garza.Photo: GoFundMe (3)
It was a typical Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas, as students and teachers at Robb Elementary School wound down the 2021-2022 school year, with graduation set for the weekend. In the morning, the school celebrated its honor roll, but shortly after, the bright futures of 19 young students and two teachers were tragically cut short.
On May 24, 2022, one year ago today, an 18-year-old gunman wearing body armor crashed his car in a ditch near the school, then, after getting past law enforcement, entered a classroom and locked himself inside, killing 19 students and two teachers.
A year after the Uvalde massacre, PEOPLE remembers the victims:
Eva Mireles, 44
Eva Mireles.Courtesy Mireles Family and Lydia Martinez Delgado/Local News X/TMX
Eva Mireleswas one of two teachers killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. She worked in the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District for 17 years, her aunt, Lydia Martinez Delgado, toldABC7.
According to her school districtteacher bio, she was a fourth grade teacher who loved running and hiking. For five years, she had been co-teaching the grade with fellow instructor Irma Garcia, who was also killed in the attack.
Mireles' daughter Adalynn paid tribute to her motheron Twitterafter the attack, writing, “My sweet mommy, I will miss you forever.”
“Mom, I have no words to describe how I feel right now, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life,” she wrote in her heartfelt tribute.
The tribute ended with: “I want to thank you mom, for being such an inspiration to me. I will forever be so proud to be your daughter. My sweet mommy, I will see you again.”
Xavier Lopez, 10
Xavier Lopez.GoFundMe
Xavier Lopez was excited for summer to roll around so he could spend his days off swimming, his cousin, Lisa Garza,told the Associated Press.
“He was just a loving 10-year-old little boy, just enjoying life, not knowing that this tragedy was going to happen today,” said Garza, per AP.
Xavier’s mom had seen him just a couple of hours before the shooting, a relativetold ABC News, as she was at his school attending an awards ceremony — he had made the honor roll.
“He was very bubbly, loved to dance with his brothers, his mom,” Garza remembered. “This has just taken a toll on all of us.”
Uziyah Garcia, 9
Uziyah Garcia.GoFundMe
Manny Renfro was in awe of his grandson Uziyah Garcia.
“The sweetest little boy that I’ve ever known,” he told AP, quickly clarifying: “I’m not just saying that because he’s my grandkid.”
Uziyah’s aunt, Nikki Cross,told NBC DFWthat the boy would have turned 10 the summer after his death. He left behind two sisters,CNN reports.
Alexandria Aniyah ‘Lexi’ Rubio, 10
Lexi Rubio.Facebook
A cousin of Lexi’swrote on Twitter, “She was such a bright light in everyone’s life and was a badass ball player. You left this world way too soon ,and you will forever be missed.”
On the morning she was killed, Lexi made the school’s honor roll and also won the school’s Good Citizen award.
Irma Garcia
Irma Garcia.GoFundMe
Irma Garcia, a teacher, was remembered on aGoFundMe page set up in her honoras a loving wife and mother to four children.
“Sweet, kind, loving. Fun with the greatest personality,” the page read.
“She sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom. She was a hero.”
According to her profile at Robb Elementary School, she loved to barbecue with her husband of 24 years, Joe, and also listen to music. She had been a teacher at the school for 23 years.
Jose Flores, 10
Jose Flores.Facebook
Ten-year-old Jose Flores Jr. “loved going to school,” his uncle Christopher Salazar toldThe Washington Post. “He was very smart.”
Hours before he was killed, Jose was one of several star students who received a certificate for making the school honor roll.
“He was a very happy little boy. He loved both his parents,” Salazar told thePost, “and loved to laugh and have fun.”
Jose’s father, Jose Flores Sr.,told CNNthat “He was always full of energy, ready to play till the night.” His favorite pastimes included baseball and video games.
Tess Mata, 10
Tess Mata’s sister, Faith Mata, remembered her in apoignant Twitter post.
AGoFundMe campaignhas been established to support Tess' family.
Amerie Jo Garza, 10
Angel Garza, Amerie Jo Garza.GoFundMe
Amerie Jo Garza, 10, loved nothing more than her family, especially her little brother, 3-year-old Zayne.
“She kissed her brother, went to school,” Berlinda Arreola, 49, told PEOPLE of her granddaughter’s last moments at home.
That same day, Amerie marked a major milestone for any 4th grader: she made the honor roll. Minutes after the award ceremony, Amerie was shot to death while trying to call 911.
“She was so protective,” the grandmother says. “She always wanted to help.”
Jayce Luevanos, 10
Jayce Carmelo Luevanos.GoFundMe
On the morning of the shooting, Jayce asked his grandmother if he could go with her on another class’s trip to the San Antonio Zoo, his grandfather Carmelo Quiroz,toldUSA Today.
His family told him that he couldn’t miss a day of classes so close to the end of the school year “He was so sad he couldn’t go,” Quiroz said. “Maybe if he would have gone, he’d be here.”
AGoFundMefundraiser has been set up for Jayce’s family.
Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10
Jailah Silguero.Facebook
Jailah Silguero, 10, loved to dance and film TikTok videos, her mom Veronica Luevanos told theLos Angeles Times.
On that fateful day, Luevanos said Jailah, who normally enjoys going to school, “didn’t want to go.”
“She told her father, ‘Can I stay home?'” Luevanos toldUnivision. “I think she knew something would happen.”
Jailah’s cousin Jayce was also killed in the shooting.
AGoFundMe pagehas been set up to support Jailah’s family.
Miranda Mathis, 11
Miranda Mathis.Facebook
Maranda Mathis
According toThe Dallas Morning News, Miranda’s family searched for her for hours before learning the devastating news.
Her mother, Deanna Gornto,told KSATthat Miranda had a “kind heart.”
Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10
Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez.Facebook
Ten-year-old Annabell Rodriguez died along with her cousin, Jackie Cazares, who was also 10.
Polly Flores, Annabell’s aunt, mourned the devastating news in an online post, saying that her “heart is scattered” since she learned of the “beautiful” fourth-grader’s death.
Her sister, Lidia Anthony Luna, wrote on Facebook that Annabell was looking forward to the upcoming summer break from school. “Now,” Luna wrote, the two girls are “dancing up in the sky, watching over us.”
Jackie Cazares, 10
Jackie Cazares.Facebook
“We’re devastated in ways I hope no one ever goes through. … It hurts us to our souls,” Cazares wrote, adding that his daughter was “full of life and love.”
Ellie Garcia, 10
Ellie Garcia.Facebook
Ellie Garcia’s parents, Stephen Garcia and Jennifer Lugo, spent a large part of Tuesday frantically searching for their daughter, a basketball player in the city’s youth league and avid Christian.
Alithia Ramirez, 10
Alithia Ramirez.facebook
Alithia’s aunt Rosemarie Ramirez told PEOPLE last year that her niece loved to draw. She showed a PEOPLE reporter a photo of a drawing of sunflowers Alithia had made for her, saying, “It’s the last thing she gave me."
The colorful drawing depicts a little girl sitting on a sofa with two balls of yarn alongside a dog who is holding a toy. “Google” is spelled out with various objects on the wall in the background.
“I want the world to see my art and show the world what I can do, I want people to be happy when they see my passion in art,” Alithia wrote.
AGoFundMe pagehas been established to support the Ramirez family.
Rojelio Torres, 10
Rojelio Torres.Federico Torres
The Torres family said it took 12 hours for them to receive the news Rojelio died on the day of his murder.
“Thank you for the prayers and for trying to help find my cousin, it breaks my heart to say my Rojelio is now with the angels. I’ll forever miss you and love you my angel,” hiscousinwrote on Twitter.
Makenna Lee Elrod, 10
Makenna Lee Elrod.gofundme
Makenna Lee Elrod’s big sister Kadence Elizabeth mourned the 4th grader’s death on Twitter.
Makenna loved tumbling, a friend’s mother toldThe Dallas Morning News.
Makenna’s aunt wrote in aGoFundMe pageset up for her family that the girl “had the biggest heart and loved her family and friends so much. Her smile would light up a room. We will carry her in our hearts and we know she is with our Lord and Savior.”
Nevaeh Bravo, 10
Nevaeh Bravo.Facebook
Nevaeh’s name spelled backwards is “heaven.” After her death, hers aunt wrote on Facebook, “She is flying with the angels above. We love you Nevaeh very much princess!”
Her aunt created aGoFundMe campaignfor the family to cover any funeral expenses or costs stemming from the tragedy, thanking the community for their support.
Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, 10
Maite Rodriguez.gofundme
Before learning of her death, those who knew Maite Rodriguez posted pleas for help in finding the little girl, on Facebook.
“Please pray that she’s found safe,” Claudia Perez Sanchez, Maite’s father’s girlfriend, wrote. “Prayers to all the families and kids. This is so heartbreaking.”
In an updated post, Sanchez confirmed Maite was killed.
“She’s been found she’s now flying high with the angels. Rest In Peace Maite Rodriguez,” the post read.
Eliahana ‘Elijah’ Cruz Torres, 10
Elijah Torres.GoFundMe
Eliahana “Elijah” Cruz Torres, 10, was looking forward to her final softball game of the season on Tuesday, but she never made it.
The young athlete was also waiting to learn if she made the all-star team.
“And she was also saying like, ‘What if I make it? I’m gonna be so nervous.’ And I was like, ‘Girl, you got this,'” her aunt told the station.
Layla Salazar, 11
Layla Salazar.Facebook
She was also a fast runner, winning a total of six races at her school’s field day,AP reports. “She was just a whole lot of fun,” her father, Vinnie Salazar, told the outlet.
On aGoFundMe campaignestablished to support Layla’s family, Vinnie wrote, “If people knew how much we truly miss our daughter, they would wonder how we’re still breathing … she will live within the beat of my heart forever.”
source: people.com
