Survivor Stories: Uvalde, Texas

How precious is the life lived, a reflection of thousands within one soul.

STORIES

Charlotte

Before reading this survivor story, I would like to provide some form of a trigger warning to all readers. Although this story is not my own, it is one that has greatly impacted my life and inspired me to want to make change. It is devastatingly heartbreaking, but it needs to be shared.

On May 24, 2022, the unthinkable happened at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas: an eighteen year old man entered the school carrying an AR-15-style semi-automatic assault rifle. He then went on to massacre 19 children and two teachers. Many other children were injured, having to live with both physical and mental trauma. Dr. Roy Guerrero, a local pediatrician and Uvalde native, wrote a painstakingly heartbreaking speech that he presented at a Congressional hearing on gun violence. It provides first hand details on this tragedy, and I would recommend it as a necessary read to anyone passionate about gun violence.

To this day, this is one of the most heartbreaking cases of gun violence I have ever read about. These people were beyond innocent, so undeserving of the crimes committed against them that I cannot properly put it into words. The lives lost were irreplaceable.

I know that the tone of this website is more often seen as positive, but I speak about this devastating case for a reason:

Many gun violence cases do not end in survival and change. In fact, they rarely do. I was extremely lucky to walk away with my life. I think about it every day. But most people don't have that same privilege: the privilege of life.

Although this sentiment comes across as somber and depressing, I insist that this story is a lesson of inspiration. Inspiration inspires change. If we do not make change regarding gun violence in our society, innocent lives will continue to be lost and affected. When we hear about stories as heartbreaking as this one, they serve as an inspiration just as much as the stories with happy endings. Both push us to change what is wrong.

Before reading this survivor story, I would like to provide some form of a trigger warning to all readers. Although this story is not my own, it is one that has greatly impacted my life and inspired me to want to make change. It is devastatingly heartbreaking, but it needs to be shared.

On May 24, 2022, the unthinkable happened at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas: an eighteen year old man entered the school carrying an AR-15-style semi-automatic assault rifle. He then went on to massacre 19 children and two teachers. Many other children were injured, having to live with both physical and mental trauma. Dr. Roy Guerrero, a local pediatrician and Uvalde native, wrote a painstakingly heartbreaking speech that he presented at a Congressional hearing on gun violence. It provides first hand details on this tragedy, and I would recommend it as a necessary read to anyone passionate about gun violence.

To this day, this is one of the most heartbreaking cases of gun violence I have ever read about. These people were beyond innocent, so undeserving of the crimes committed against them that I cannot properly put it into words. The lives lost were irreplaceable.

I know that the tone of this website is more often seen as positive, but I speak about this devastating case for a reason:

Many gun violence cases do not end in survival and change. In fact, they rarely do. I was extremely lucky to walk away with my life. I think about it every day. But most people don't have that same privilege: the privilege of life.

Although this sentiment comes across as somber and depressing, I insist that this story is a lesson of inspiration. Inspiration inspires change. If we do not make change regarding gun violence in our society, innocent lives will continue to be lost and affected. When we hear about stories as heartbreaking as this one, they serve as an inspiration just as much as the stories with happy endings. Both push us to change what is wrong.