On Tuesday, Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio’s parents attended an honor roll ceremony with her, celebrating her academic achievements. About 30 minutes later, the gunman opened fire.
New details about Tuesday’s tragic and senseless killing of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas are coming to light.
During a news conference with officials on Wednesday, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed one of the young children who was killed in the massacre was the daughter of a sheriff’s deputy.
“One deputy sheriff lost a daughter in that school,” Abbott told reporters.
Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio, the 10-year-old daughter of Felix Rubio, a deputy with the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office who responded to the shooting, died on Tuesday.
Felix and his wife, Kimberly, told CNN Wednesday that they were proud of their daughter, who loved playing basketball and softball, and had dreams of becoming a lawyer when she grew up –– like her mother.
On Tuesday, Lexi’s parents attended an honor roll ceremony with her, celebrating her academic achievements. About 30 minutes after they left the school, the gunman opened fire.
“She was kind, sweet, and appreciated life,” they told CNN. “She was going to be an all-star in softball and had a bright future, whether it’s sports or academic. Please let the world know we miss our baby.”
“My beautiful, smart, Alexandria Aniyah Rubio was recognized today for All-A honor roll. She also received the good citizen award,” Kimberly wrote on Facebook. “We told her we loved her and would pick her up after school. We had no idea this was goodbye.”
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In addition to the 21 lives lost on Tuesday, 17 others sustained injuries. The attack is the second deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in 2012.
“The entire community is in utter shock about this,” Abbott added. “Some physical wounds that were sustained by the officers — they’re going to heal in the coming days. The mental and emotional wounds are far harder to see and last far longer.”
On Tuesday, a handful of first responders, including a police officer, an EMT, and a firefighter, recalled the horrific scene outside the school to PEOPLE.
“Fathers smashed windows, and physically pulled their kids out of classrooms,” said Ernest “Chip” King, a Uvalde firefighter who was one of the first responders at the scene. “There was a lot of chaos.”
“I was stabilizing a little girl, she was so tiny,” said an EMT who wanted to be identified only by his first name, Rey, who arrived at the scene 20 minutes after the shooting. “There was blood everywhere. She had been shot in the chest and the shoulder. We were trying to stop the bleeding. I looked at her and I was like, ‘She’s just a baby. Who would shoot a baby?’ ”
The gunman who carried out Tuesday’s mass school shooting in Texas, identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, barricaded himself inside an elementary school classroom, officials have said, adding that all of the victims – those dead and injured – were found in that room.
Speaking to CNN this morning, Lt. Chris Olivarez from the Texas Department of Public Safety said the shooter entered the classroom at around 11:30 a.m., “locked the door, and just started shooting children and the two teachers” inside.
The children killed were in the second, third, and fourth grades, police confirmed.
“Just goes to show you the complete evil from this shooter,” Olivarez said.
Authorities have said that, prior to traveling to the school, the shooter shot his grandmother, who has so far survived her injuries.
He crashed his car in a ditch near the school. He was engaged by law enforcement outside the school, but was still able to enter the building.
Investigators have not discussed a motive for Tuesday’s shooting.
Uvalde is a small city about 85 miles west of San Antonio.
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