AUSTIN, Texas — Three months after one of America’s deadliest school shootings, the Uvalde community is still overwhelmed with grief.
“Enough is enough, it has destroyed our family, all of our families,” Velma Lisa Duran, Irma Garcia’s sister, said.
Saturday’s March for our Lives rally at the State Capitol in Austin honored the 21 Robb Elementary School shooting victims and countless others lost due to gun violence in Texas.
“I want them to realize it can happen to you, it can happen in your town and it will happen if we don’t make changes,” Ana Rodriguez, Maite Rodriguez’s mother, said.
Among the top issues of concern being presented to Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas politicians, a special session increasing the age to buy an assault rifle from 18 to 21 years of age and increased background checks.
“When do I think it will stop, when it happens to them,” Brett Cross, Uziyah Garcia’s father, said. “We’re fighting so they don’t become in our positions. If you’re not going to fight for your own kids, we’re going to. You need to stand up, do something, demand change, because 18-year-olds being able to own this is not right.”
Families from the Santa Fe and Parkland high school shootings were among other advocates to share their support on this difficult of day.
“I just thought, not again and the news kept getting worse and worse,” Rhonda Hart, Kimberly Vaughan’s mother, said. “I knew that I wanted to protect these families and be there for them. We’ve been at this for four years (Santa Fe) and aren’t stopping.”
On this Saturday, the Capitol steps served as a platform to channel their deepest pain, with an expectation their words will carry weight toward November.
“In fact, if they don’t change their minds, we are going to change them out,” Uvalde resident Manuel Rizo said.