Gloria Cazares can’t let you know if she’s going to have day or a foul day. Some mornings, she wakes up, makes breakfast, and does just a few chores round the home. Different mornings, she will’t get off the bed. The considered cooking a meal is overwhelming. She scrolls her cellphone and bursts into tears if she comes throughout photographs of Jackie, her nine-year-old daughter and certainly one of 19 kids and two lecturers killed on Could 24, 2022, when a gunman opened hearth at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde, Texas.
Jackie was upbeat and enthusiastic, with lengthy brown hair and large brown eyes. She had desires of touring the world sooner or later — Paris was on the high of her checklist. Cazares nonetheless takes care of Jackie’s 4 canines and talks about how a lot she wished to be a veterinarian. There are reminiscences that make her smile; some tear her aside. “I by no means know the way I’m going to react,” Cazares says. “Typically, it’s remembering her smile, her giggle, her eyes, and it simply breaks your coronary heart. There’s a lot that she’s going to overlook out on.”
For the final 12 months, Cazares has been caught within the unpredictability of grief. However there’s one factor that’s saved her shifting: the combat to cut back gun violence throughout the nation. She’s taken up the trigger alongside most of the mother and father and family members of Uvalde victims and over the previous couple of months, they’ve centered their efforts on HB 2744, a state invoice which might elevate the minimal age to buy some semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 — one thing they consider would have prevented the tragedy in Uvalde, notably as a result of the gunman legally bought two AR platform rifles simply days after he turned 18. HB 2744 faces an uphill battle, however it’s simply certainly one of many efforts the households are engaged on as they search change and demand accountability for what occurred that day.
Gloria and Jacinto Cazares stand with their daughter Jazmin at a press convention in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2022, months after shedding their youngest little one Jackie Cazares through the capturing in Uvalde, Texas.
Anna Rose Layden/Getty Pictures
They’ve channeled a few of their vitality into Lives Robbed, a nonprofit group created by a number of mother and father of the victims, together with Cazares. The thought got here up within the months after the capturing, because the households started spending extra time collectively at vigils and demonstrations, urging motion from leaders in Texas. They turned a continuing presence on the Texas State Capitol in Austin, the place they known as out Governor Gregg Abbott and different Texas representatives. In addition they traveled to Washington, D.C. a number of instances to testify earlier than Congress and encourage the Senate to go gun reform legal guidelines. It was throughout a type of journeys that they started discussing Lives Robbed. “We thought, ‘Let’s strive doing one thing. Let’s type one thing,’” Cazares remembers.
Organizations like Lives Robbed have come collectively within the aftermath of mass shootings earlier than: After Sandy Hook, households and family members created Sandy Hook Promise and the Newtown Motion Alliance, which each work to forestall gun violence and create safer faculties throughout the nation. College students joined forces to launch March for Our Lives, a youth-empowered non-profit, within the wake of the capturing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Excessive College. The Uvalde households had met with a number of individuals from organizations like these in different communities, they usually wished to seek out their very own methods to make change. “We had been at all times getting assist from different organizations and we thought, ‘You realize what? It’s time for us to get in there and begin serving to others,” Cazares says.
Lives Robbed contains the group’s president Kimberly Mata-Rubio, a journalist who used to work on the native newspaper, the Uvalde Chief-Information. She misplaced her 10-year-old daughter Lexi, a brilliant, formidable child who cherished taking part in softball and basketball, and who at all times did effectively in class. “She was aggressive, pushed, undoubtedly a little bit of an overachiever,” Mata-Rubio says. “She would get nervous earlier than checks. She actually wished to be nice. She was nice.”
Berlinda Arreola, the step-grandmother of 10-year-old sufferer Amerie Jo Garza, additionally turned an outspoken member of the group, in addition to its secretary. Garza was simply six months previous when she got here into Arreola’s life, and Arreola at all times cherished how creative and artistic she was. Garza cherished to attract, and she or he was particularly good at sculpting little objects out of clay. “She was so gifted, and she or he was simply so pleasant,” Arreola says. “She trusted all people.”
One of many moms who joined Lives Robbed was a kindergarten trainer named Veronica Mata, whose youngest daughter Tess was among the many victims. Mata had a tough time getting pregnant after she had her oldest daughter, Religion, and although Tess was nearly 11 years youthful than her sister, the women had been shut. Tess cherished sparkly clothes and make-up, however she was additionally a giant baseball fan who cheered for the Houston Astros. “Tess was the sunshine of our life. She saved us going,” Mata says. “She was spontaneous, and she or he was simply very outspoken. When she didn’t like one thing, she was going to let you know that she didn’t prefer it. However she had the most important coronary heart.”
Earlier than the tragedy, not one of the members of the family had loads of expertise with politics or lobbying efforts. Arreola says she hadn’t ever been concerned in gun reform laws or debates. “When Sandy Hook occurred, I adopted their story,” Arreola remembers. “However my largest remorse now is just not following by means of with Sandy Hook and serving to them with gun reform and college security, as a result of right here we’re 10 years later, asking for a similar factor that they requested for.”
AS SOON AS LIVES ROBBED fashioned in October 2022, its members instantly started working. They attended conferences and urged updates from an investigation at the moment in course of by the Texas Public Security Fee. They rallied in Austin on Gun Security Advocacy Day in February, standing alongside different households which have confronted or misplaced family members to gun violence. In April, they spent nearly 13 hours ready to testify in favor of gun reform earlier than the Texas state Home committee, the place Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody shared horrific particulars from an inquiry into the capturing carried out by lawmakers.
All of the whereas, the group has continued sharing the tales of their family members with others to amplify their message. “Our work is on the ground-level,” Mata-Rubio says. “It’s mothers saying, ‘Hey, if you happen to’re a mother, a dad, a sister, a brother, then that is your combat. Be part of us.’”
Kimberly Mata-Rubio, who misplaced her daughter Lexi within the Uvalde, Texas faculty capturing, marches in a rally calling for a federal ban on assault weapons on July 13, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Pictures
Nonetheless, the work hasn’t been simple, and it hasn’t at all times been well-received, particularly in their very own group of Uvalde, the place gun reform conversations are contentious. “Uvalde’s that city that simply doesn’t like change or doesn’t prefer to [stir] the pot, so to talk — simply depart issues alone, depart issues the way in which they’re. And so, when issues like this occur, individuals simply don’t perceive the affected,” Arreola says. Traditionally, the county has backed conservative values, voting for each Republican presidential candidate since 1968.
The group grew extra divided as particulars concerning the incident continued to emerge. State and native legislation enforcement officers delivered a shifting, muddled clarification about what occurred. In June 2022, video got here out displaying that legislation enforcement officers waited 77 minutes to confront the gunman, who barricaded himself between two adjoining fourth-grade lecture rooms. A number of kids, together with Amerie, reportedly known as 911 and urged police to assist them.
A joint investigation by the Washington Publish, ProPublica, and the Texas Tribune discovered proof that, along with legislation enforcement’s delay confronting the shooter, there have been additionally communication lapses, systemic failures, and a scarcity of crucial sources that saved victims from getting speedy medical therapy. In keeping with paperwork they uncovered, a woman matching Jackie’s description possible survived for greater than an hour after she was shot. However by the point medical personnel reached her and put her in an ambulance, it was too late: She died on the way in which to the hospital.
In December, a gaggle of survivors and members of the family filed a $27 billion class-action lawsuit in federal courtroom in opposition to the city of Uvalde, the college district, and a number of legislation enforcement businesses and officers. The lawsuit cites “the indelible and forever-lasting trauma” of survivors and the households of the victims. In the meantime, DPS has not offered an replace on its official investigation, regardless of promising it could wrap earlier than the one-year mark. “We haven’t heard something in any respect,” Mata says disappointedly. “We hope that we’ll hear one thing quickly, hopefully that we’ll get one thing by Could 24, however they’ve been stonewalling that as effectively.”
The households have as an alternative centered on particular laws. In Could, they appeared to make some progress towards passing Home Invoice 2744: In a last-minute vote, the invoice handed out of committee 8-5. Although the Texas Calendars Committee missed a deadline to set a date for the Home to vote on the invoice, some Democrats have promised to proceed making an attempt till the session ends on Could 29. Moody, for instance, went on the Home ground in Could and proposed including the age cap to a different present gun reform modification as a option to get it throughout the road.
None of this has dissuaded the mother and father of Lives Robbed. “Similar to we will by no means flip round and see our daughters once more, we’re not going to show round and stroll away,” Mata says.
Cazares is aware of the work they’re doing is exhausting. “It’s emotionally draining. Being out of city or doing these hearings or speaking to the representatives, lobbying, it’s extraordinarily tough,” she says. Nevertheless, her plan is to maintain going to honor Jackie. “I didn’t select to do that, she says. “However I actually don’t have a alternative now.”
AS THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the tragedy approaches, the members of Lives Robbed have been planning actions to honor their kids and family members. That hasn’t been simple: “It’s very onerous realizing that we’re going to need to relive that day once more fairly quickly, and we all know that it’s going to be a complete nightmare,” Arreola says. “It’s going to be deja vu of that very same day.”
Relations continually need to relive the trauma of Could 24, 2022. Arreola says she’s uneasy today, continually occupied with the risks of gun violence. “That day modified my complete whole life and my complete mind-set, my demeanor, my perspective,” she says. “I stroll into a spot that I’ve by no means been. I’m seeking to see the place the exits are. I’m going to a parade and I’m wanting up on the buildings, ensuring that there’s no person up there.”
She even felt nervous coming into the D.C. Capitol, the place she eyed armed safety standing at each entrance. “I imply all of the legislation enforcement brokers, officers with weapons, you don’t really feel protected as a result of how do I do know you’re going to guard me? You didn’t defend my grandchild. How do I do know you’re going to guard me? You don’t really feel protected anymore as a result of your belief is gone.”
Gloria Cazares and Berlinda Arreola
Courtesy of Lives Robbed
In her kindergarten class, Mata has needed to run by means of lockdown drills along with her college students all year long. On the day she spoke to Rolling Stone, she had been purchasing on the native HEB when out of the blue there was an announcement that the grocery retailer was going beneath lockdown due to a police incident close by. Mata observed a buddy along with her younger daughter on one facet of the shop; the daughter had been a scholar at Robb Elementary who was throughout the corridor when the gunman entered. “She was making an attempt to be sturdy, however you might see the concern in her eyes and her face,” Mata says. She stayed with the buddy and the woman within the lavatory till they had been allowed to depart after about 10 minutes.
Regardless of these tough moments, they’ve cast forward to honor their kids. On Could 24, they’re planning a candlelit vigil with members of the group on the Uvalde Memorial Park Amphitheatre. There shall be just a few musical performances to honor the lives misplaced, in addition to some audio system who will share reminiscences and replicate on their members of the family.
Mata hopes that these occasions will protect the reminiscence of every sufferer: “We wish to have the ability to honor all of them in their very own particular method, as a result of they had been every particular person children,” Mata says. She desires individuals to recollect all of the qualities that made them particular: “We need to guarantee that individuals keep in mind that Lexi cherished to play softball along with her dad, and Jackie wished to go to Paris, and Amerie wished to be an artist. Tess cherished watching medical exhibits. Her favourite participant was José Altuve, “she says. “They had been our youngsters. We need to guarantee that they’re by no means forgotten.”