Texas families looking for answers after Uvalde shooting
UVALDE, Texas (CBSDFW/AP) - Families are mourning the loss of children and seeking help to find missing children after a shooting at a Texas elementary school on Tuesday.
By nightfall, names of those killed during Tuesday's attack at Robb Elementary School in the town of Uvalde began to emerge. The death toll has risen to at least 19 students and two teachers.
Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Christopher Olivarez told CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil on Wednesday morning that all the dead were in the same fourth-grade classroom, where the shooter barricaded himself and opened fire on the children and teachers.
Manny Renfro said he got word Tuesday that his grandson, 8-year-old Uziyah Garcia, was among those killed. Renfro said that he last saw Uziyah when he visited him in San Angelo during spring break.
"The sweetest little boy that I've ever known," Renfro said. "I'm not just saying that because he was my grandkid."
Fourth-grade teacher Eva Mireles, 44, was remembered as a loving mother and wife.
"She was adventurous. I would definitely say those wonderful things about her. She is definitely going to be very missed," said 34-year-old relative Amber Ybarra, of San Antonio.
Ybarra prepared to give blood for the wounded and pondered how no one noticed trouble with the shooter in time to stop him.
"To me, it's more about raising mental health awareness," said Ybarra, a wellness coach who attended the elementary school where the shooting happened. "Someone could possibly have seen a dramatic change before something like this happened."
Lisa Garza, 54, of Arlington, mourned the death of her cousin, Xavier Javier Lopez, who had been eagerly awaiting a summer of swimming.
"He was just a loving 10-year-old little boy, just enjoying life, not knowing that this tragedy was going to happen today," she said. "He was very bubbly, loved to dance with his brothers, his mom. This has just taken a toll on all of us."
She also lamented what she described as lax gun laws.
"We should have more restrictions, especially if these kids are not in their right state of mind and all they want to do is just hurt people, especially innocent children going to the schools," Garza said.
On social media, pictures of smiling children were posted, their families begging for information. Classes had been winding down for the year and each school day had a theme. Tuesday's was Footloose and Fancy. Students were supposed to wear a nice outfit with fun or fancy shoes.
Adolfo Cruz, a 69-year-old air conditioning repairman, remained outside the school Tuesday night, waiting for word about his 10-year-old great-granddaughter, Eliajha Cruz Torres, whose whereabouts remained unknown to family.
Cruz drove to the scene after receiving a tearful and terrifying call from his daughter shortly after the first reports that a gunman had opened fire at the school. While he waited outside the school Tuesday night, his family was at the hospital and civic center waiting for any potential word on her condition.
"I hope she is alive," Cruz said. "They are waiting for an update."
Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home, located across the street from Robb Elementary School, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening that it would be assisting families of the shooting victims with no cost for funerals.