UVALDE, Texas – Pain, heartbreak, loss, love, support and compassion -- it can all be found at the Uvalde Memorial Park Friday night.
A prayer vigil was held there in the heart of downtown following a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that killed 19 children and two schoolteachers.
There was an outpouring of support from out-of-towners and community members. The vigil started at 6 p.m. but large crowds continued to pay their respects well into the 10 o’clock hour.
It was apparent that every local resident had some connection to a victim, if not multiple.
A Robb Elementary teacher made her way around the memorial, stopping at each cross. A friend helped her walk around as she could barely stand on her own.
She broke down at each cross while reading the victims’ names, remembering her students and co-workers.
“It’s what the people don’t understand. I’ve told many parents that their kids are my kids,” the teacher said to a group of journalists as she made her way to her car.
The teachers’ emotions were also seen in the little ones.
Some young children just stood and stared at the crosses, trying to understand the unthinkable. Others cried and clung to their parents.
We met a few students who were inside the school the day of the shooting, but neither they nor their parents wanted to talk. Many kids brought flowers, toys, and angles to place at the crosses.
“I knew Amerie Jo Garza. Her dad was my coach for baseball this year. She was a nice girl, really nice,” said EJ Zamora, who graduated from Robb Elementary the previous year.
He also had a message for his coach, “I hope and pray for you that you’re okay.”
Every local resident we spoke to has some tie or connection to a victim. Martha Garcia’s adult son’s 3rd-grade teacher was Irma Garcia. Garcia died trying to protect her students Tuesday.
“She made a really good, long-lasting impression on him. He was really heartbroken to hear about her loss,” said Martha.