An innocent cheerleader, a stupid and loving softball player and a smart and shy boy who loves nature, was laid to rest on Thursday as part of a long period of mourning for Uwalde over the May 24 massacre at Rob Elementary School.
The three fourth-graders were among 19 children killed along with their teachers, Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles, when an 18-year-old gunman broke into their classroom after firing outside the building and entering through an unlocked door.
The mourning on Thursday was private, the ceremonies quiet and strictly guarded by police. A gloomy mood had permeated every aspect of the small community in South Texas.
“I want to hug every child I see at HEB,” said Francesca Baron, a longtime Uwalde resident who lives down the street from the bustling Rushing-Estes Knowles Mortuary. “It’s so bad.”
At about 11 a.m., a crowd of about 100 mourners gathered at Rushing-Estes to remember Eliana Torres, the softball player described in her obituary as a loving Tik Tok 10-year-old with a beautiful smile and the ability to make people laugh. Later in the day, at the same funeral home, the families reflected on the life of Maranda Mathis, the shy boy whose imagination shone through her love of unicorns and mermaids.
And then there was Nevaeh Bravo, a cheerleader whose funeral was held at the Sacred Heart Memorial Church. She had just turned 10 in January. Her name was “heaven” written back, a cousin said on Facebook. She could “make everyone’s face smile,” the cousin said, according to the Washington Post.
Less than a mile away, people traveling from Texas and other states dropped roses and teddy bears around a growing memorial that surrounded a large fountain in downtown. Some people were just there to help, such as UPS supervisor Anthony Piper, who distributed water and filled local UPS workers who had to attend funerals and mourn.
On ExpressNews.com: Uvalde’s Funeral: Prayers for a Devoted Teacher and Her Husband and 10-Year-Old Boy
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– Julian Gil (@ JulianGi11) June 2, 2022
Another man, Tony Dickie, a priest who helps families cope with the loss after a disaster, had just returned from Buffalo, New York, where a gunman killed 10 people days before the Uwalde massacre.
The massacre at the school in Uwalde
“In Buffalo you have a group of elderly people killed, and here you have a group of innocent children killed – both innocent,” he said. “And this is a national tragedy.”
Journalists were not allowed to attend the funeral. Many locals refused to speak to the press after a day of media attention. The emotions were still fresh.
On ExpressNews.com: “Loan Heart”: Pouring from elsewhere inflates crowds during Uwalde’s mourning and mourning rituals
Fire trucks and a fleet of police officers from Uwalde and Texas cities – including Alan, Parland, Conroe, Lubbock – set up blockades and threatened to arrest reporters who stepped near the property.
They were assisted by dozens of bikers who were members of at least three clubs – Guardians of the Children, Thin Blue Line LEMC and Marines MC. The motorcyclists physically blocked the cameras in the designated areas of the media, followed reporters and harassed them as they approached the ceremonies. One of the Guardians of the Children member, who declined to give her name, said the group was “working with the police”.
“We were asked to be here,” the woman said.
Outside of Torres’ funeral, another unidentified member of the biker club said: “We just want to give families a safe and peaceful space.
julian.gill@chron.com
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