UVALDE, Texas – Several marked the two years since the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde by paying their respect to the victims and pushing for change.
Just after 10 a.m., a group gathered at the town square with orange flags and shirts.
Robb Elementary teacher and shooting survivor Arnulfo Reyes was among them.
He stood there for 77 minutes — the same amount of time it took law enforcement to confront the gunman.
Several drivers who passed by honked in support.
“We won’t forget what happened and to bring awareness to the gun violence,” Reyes said.
Others stopped by the 21 crosses around the fountain, paying their respects.
“A lot of emotion, a lot of emotion,” said Sandra Fuentes, who visited from San Antonio. “Just trying to understand why, why it happened. It shouldn’t have happened that way.”
A group gathered at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, where bells rang to mark the moment the deadly shooting began.
A choir performed in the church’s garden, where butterflies were released in memory of the 21 victims, their families and survivors.
“There’s a lot of emotions,” said Priscilla Fernandez, who attended the service from San Antonio. “I don’t have young children, but when we think of the world, and we think of tragedies that happen and shootings that happen with young children or teachers and educators — it’s very heavy on everybody’s emotions because it continues to happen.”
Families gathered at the Uvalde Amphitheater on Friday night for a candlelight vigil.
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