Jacklyn Cazares wasn’t yet 10 years old, but her father said that she was already a strong-willed “firecracker”, always trying to help others in need. Jacklyn and Annabelle Rodriguez, her second cousin, were close friends with three of their classmates from Robb Elementary School.
Javier Cazares stated, “They are all gone now.” “All her best friends and little sister were also killed.”
The gunman, an 18-year old man, opened fire on a fourth-grade classroom at Uvalde school in Texas and killed 19 students. Their families are left to hold on to their memories and each other.
Jacklyn would be turning 10 years old on June 10. She was a young woman, but she was both tough-minded as well as compassionate, despite her age.
Her father stated that “She had a voice.” She didn’t like being bullied, and she didn’t enjoy children being picked on. She was full of love, all in all. She was a generous person.”
“She was a character, a little firecracker.”
Cazares drove his daughter, Cazares, to school Tuesday. She had an awards ceremony that day. The family received a call about 90 minutes later: A school shooter was present.
He said, “I drove like an ogre out of hell.” “My baby was in trouble.”
He described the chaotic scene at the school as “there were more than 100 people waiting, it was chaotic.” He became frustrated with the way the police responded and suggested that he rush into the school with a few other bystanders.
Cazares claimed that Jacklyn was taken in by his niece after he took an ambulance to the hospital. Soon, the entire family joined in and demanded information from hospital officials for almost three hours. They begged, cried, and showed them photos of their daughter. They were finally met by a pastor, a police officer, and a doctor.
Cazares replied, “My wife asked me the question, “Is she still alive or has she died?” “They said, “No, she’s dead.”
Cazares was overcome with emotion as he thought about how long his daughter had been in the classroom before her death. He takes comfort in the fact that Jacklyn did what was natural to her in her last moments — helping fellow students.
