2023-05-25 06:21:26
With open wounds far from healing and full of unsatisfied demands, the relatives of the 19 children and 2 teachers killed at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde face a fateful day this Wednesday: the anniversary of one of the darkest tragedies in recent history of the United States.
As Sandy Hook (2012, 26 deaths) or Columbine (1999, 15 deaths) did in their day, the name of Uvalde entered the black Time.news a year ago of the only country in the world where there are more weapons than people: 120 out of 100, notes the Smalls Arms Survey organization.
Although the tragic and media event brought a halo of hope to those who support greater gun control, the reality is that in these 365 days none of the demands of Uvalde’s parents have materialized.
The main request – raising the age of possession of assault weapons from 18 to 21 years – was successfully brought to the House of Representatives with a bill, but ended up remaining a dead letter.
Despite the fact that the authorities have requested privacy for the families on this day, they are expected to participate in various events, including a mass in memory of the victims and a vigil to be held at night.
In a press conference last Monday, the mayor of Uvalde, Don McLaughlin, asked for respect, suggested that citizens not come near the municipality and encouraged the press not to disturb, on this day in which schools and offices Government will be closed.
“I think that everyone is nervous about what is going to happen and many people are even going to close their businesses,” Rosemary, owner of a restaurant in Uvalde, told EFE.
While a year ago he used all his strength to help the affected families and donated dozens of meals, today his face changes when he mentions the tragedy. Thinking about that day, he confesses, surrounds him with extreme sadness.
She does plan to open her business today. “No matter what happens, we have to continue,” she says.
It is difficult to forget what happened in Uvalde twelve months ago. Witnesses are the “Strong Uvalde” signs pasted on the windows of most homes and businesses.
And the murals that decorate some facades with the faces of children. And the crosses with names, decorated with toys, photos and flowers, installed in the small central square of this city of about 15,000 inhabitants, located an hour from the border, and in which 80% of the inhabitants are of Mexican origin. .
So were almost all the deceased children and the two teachers, who were killed by Salvador Ramos, an 18-year-old who had bought two assault rifles on his birthday.
An AR-15, the most popular in the country, was the one used by Ramos after entering through an unlocked back door and barricading himself for 77 minutes in rooms 111 and 112 of Robb Elementary School, a building that has remained closed ever since. , waiting to be demolished.
There are several open investigations into what happened. According to a report by a Texas House committee, there were “systemic failures” in the police response.
The city’s district attorney, Christina Mitchell, is considering whether to file charges against the officers who waited for more than an hour to storm the classroom and neutralize Ramos. There is also an open investigation by the Department of Justice.
Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo was fired in August, and Uvalde School Board Superintendent Hal Harrell resigned, as did interim Uvalde Police Chief Mariano Pargas.
Several lawsuits filed by relatives are also on the air, including that of Sandra Torres, mother of one of the murdered girls, who sued the manufacturer of the rifle used in the massacre, the store that sold the weapon, the city, the district school and various police departments.
The complaint alleges that the manufacturer was negligent in the marketing and sale of the rifle by using militaristic images to appeal to vulnerable and violent youth and suggesting that civilians may use their weapons as if they were on combat missions.
#Uvalde #marks #year #massacre #Robb #Elementary #School