From Texas Public Radio:
The Uvalde community came together Wednesday night to mark one year since the shooting at Robb Elementary School.
The night started with a prayer vigil at the Uvalde County Fairplex. Afterwards, victims’ families invited the public to a candle lighting ceremony and butterfly release in honor of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the attack.
Families and attendees release butterflies from envelopes at tonight’s public vigil in remembrance of the lost lives one year ago — at Uvalde Memorial Park amphitheater. @TPRNews @NPR pic.twitter.com/rXvq9Wv5IX
— Jia Chen (@jiawenc17) May 25, 2023
The evening felt meaningful for Uvalde resident Michael Cortes.
“I think it was needed for our town,” he said. “It’s been a year, but it still feels like the day of.”
The city of about 15,000 was ripped apart by the horrific shooting and the controversy over law enforcement’s botched response that followed.
“At least we could all come together for a minute and remember them and let them know we’re still thinking about them,” Cortes said. “It wasn’t something small. It was 21 lives that were taken. Anything we could do to keep them alive and let them know we’re still thinking about them.”
» In their own words: Voices from Uvalde
A heartwarming song dedicated to Jackie Cazares, aged 9, who dreamed of going Paris sung by @TamirBenKalifa @TPRNews @NPR #uvalde #UvaldeStrong pic.twitter.com/iBkkBDQWZ6
— Jia Chen (@jiawenc17) May 25, 2023
Christina Delgado came to Uvalde from Santa Fe, Texas — a community that experienced its own school shooting five years ago. She’s with an organization called Community Justice, which works to help survivors of shootings turn their pain into activism.
“This is a night of acceptance. This is the first day that it truly becomes a reality,” she said. “This is the beginning process for these families to move forward, to truly live in this reality that has been forced upon them.”
The victims’ families say then plan to continue fighting for answers and changes to the state’s gun laws. But on this night, the focus was on coming together as a community to grieve — and heal — together.
