The teachers shielded their students as the 18-year-old shooter opened fire into the classrooms.
Trigger Warning: This story contains details of gun violence that the readers may find disturbing.
Among the 21 reported victims, who died at the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, were two teachers who were killed while protecting the children. Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia, died while trying to shield the students from the fatal attack by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. Mireles has worked with the school district for 17 years, her aunt Lydia Martinez Delgado told New York Times. She was in her 40s and had a child with her husband. Her UCISD reads, "I have a supportive, fun, and loving family, which includes a UCISD officer (Ruiz), college graduate daughter (Adalynn), and 3 furry friends (Callie, Kane,& Koda)."
My daughter’s beautiful teacher was the teacher who was killed in Uvalde, TX. Eva (Ms Mireles) taught Gabby in elementary school. She was a beautiful person & dedicated teacher. She believed in Gabby & went above & beyond to teach her as you can see below. There are no words. pic.twitter.com/qMlVoVEUrY
— Audrey (@audreymg0928) May 24, 2022
Robb Elementary School had a large number of Hispanic students, and Mireles took great delight in educating them. Her aunt told KSAT-TV in a statement, "These children are innocent. Rifles should not be easily available to all. This is my hometown — a small community of less than 20,000. I never imagined this would happen... especially to loved ones." Many paid homage to Eva Mireles, including Audrey Garcia, whose daughter was a previous student of hers. Garcia's daughter has Down Syndrome, and Mireles went above and beyond for her daughter, integrating her into her classroom. Audrey wrote on Twitter, " She was a beautiful person & dedicated teacher. She believed in Gabby & went above & beyond to teach her as you can see below. There are no words."
My tia did not make it, she sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom, i beg of you to keep my family including all of her family in y’all’s prayers , IRMA GARCIA IS HER NAME and she died a HERO. she was loved by many and will truly be missed. pic.twitter.com/2XpdJA0q8x
— john martinez ❤️🔥 (@fuhknjo) May 25, 2022
Irma Garcia was also murdered while attempting to protect her children. A relative of hers wrote on Twitter, "My tia did not make it, she sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom. I beg of you to keep my family including all of her family in y’all’s prayers. IRMA GARCIA IS HER NAME and she died a HERO. She was loved by many and will truly be missed." A GoFundMe campaign was created to help cover Garcia's funeral expenses. The page mentions that she was married and had four children. She was, "Sweet, kind, loving. Fun with the greatest personality."
Elsa Avila, a fourth-grade math and science teacher, was wounded in the stomach and abdomen but is expected to live. Avila has been a teacher at the Uvalde school district for the past 16 years, per News Nation. The 18-year-old gunman was shot down by the police responding to the scene of the shooting. He reportedly shot his grandmother first, who is admitted to the hospital in critical condition, before attacking the school and indiscriminately showering bullets on the students, per NBC News. According to the Gun Violence Archive, this is the 212th mass shooting in the United States this year.
References:
https://twitter.com/audreymg0928/status/1529249176390860801
https://twitter.com/fuhknjo/status/1529306662951178241
https://www.ucisd.net/domain/1365
Cover Image Source: USCID