Robb Elementary School students should have celebrated the beginning of summer break by making it the first day in a joyful week. Funeral visitations were held for the first two victims of the 19-year-old school shooting.
Amerie Jo Garza, 10, was buried at Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home in Uvalde. It is located directly across from the school where two teachers and the children were killed on Tuesday. Maite Rodriguez (10 years old) was also visited at the town’s funeral home.
The next two-and a half weeks will be traumatic for the residents of the Texas town. They will grieve the loss of their children and teachers at each funeral, burial, and visitation. Investigators will seek answers to how police responded to the shooting. Lawmakers have stated that they will consider ways to stop gun violence in the country.
Funerals will be held this week for 11 children and Irma Garcia, teacher.
At the request of Angel Garza, some mourners at Amerie’s visitation wore purple shades in lilac and lavender. Many brought in flowers, even purple ones.
A cellphone was just presented to the little girl, who loved drawing, on her 10th birthday. Angel Garza was told by one of her friends that Amerie attempted to use her cellphone to call the police during the attack on her fourth-grade classroom.
Some of Maite’s family members were among the mourners at Amerie’s visitation. They were both there, as many others.
Maite’s relatives wore tie-dye green shirts that featured an illustration of Maite with angel wings. Before entering the funeral home, the family stopped at the ditch to view Salvador Ramos, a metal gate gunman.
Juana Magana, Maite’s aunt, asked “How does he walk so long?”
Hillcrest Memorial and the shooting will remain forever connected. Two men from the funeral home heard Ramos’ truck crash and ran to the accident site. Ramos fired at them. Both men managed to escape safety after he missed.
Eliahna Garcia “Ellie” Garcia will be buried June 6, the day after her birthday. Her family had been planning a huge birthday party at her grandmother’s house for the weekend. She was hoping to get gifts related to “Encanto,” the Disney film.
Siria Arizmendi, her aunt, said that “She loved that film and talked a lot.”
Ellie was quiet around her family, but she loved to do videos. She had already been practicing choreography with her older sister for her quinceanera party (the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday) even though it was five years away.
Ellie’s older sister is doing well, Arizmendi stated, but it is important to understand that their family and many others will face long road of recovery.
She said, “It’s just sad for all of the children.”
Texas funeral directors, embalmers, and other professionals came from all over the state to assist. Jimmy Lucas, president, Texas Funeral Directors Association, arrived in a hearse to help. He offered his services as a driver, volunteer for services or just plain help, he said to NBC News. Due to the shooting, other arriving morticians offered their assistance with facial reconstruction.
