A 10-year-old victim of the Uvalde school shooting had asked to stay home that day, the little girl’s grandmother has said.
Fourth-grader Jailah Nicole Silguero was one of 19 children killed in Tuesday’s mass shooting, when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
That morning, the youngster had pleaded with her mum not to go to school, saying she wanted to ‘stay home with momma’.
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Speaking to The Daily Beast, her grandmother Linda Gonzales said: “Jailah didn’t want to go to school yesterday. That’s what her momma was really upset about last night: ‘If only I had let her stay home'.”
But with just two days left of the academic year, her mother, Veronica Luevanos, insisted she went to school.
Gonzales added: “The girl was disappointed. She wanted to stay home with momma.”
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Tragically, Jailah’s cousin, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, also died in the massacre.
The grieving grandmother said the two children were from a family already in mourning even before the horrific school shooting, having held a memorial for Veronica’s father just one week before.
“He was in Mexico so they didn’t get to see him,” Gonzales explained.
“I told Veronica last night, ‘Just look at it as your daddy taking your baby with him'.”
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Gonzales described the two schoolchildren as ‘just so sweet’, saying Jailah loved to dance and had been learning to record TikTok videos, while Jayce loved to make people laugh.
“They were sweet kids and lovable,” she said. “What can you say about little innocent kids?”
Gonzales added: “I don’t have words. We think this is a small community, it can’t happen here, but oh my God, it’s happening anywhere.”
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Officials in Texas said 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire at Robb Elementary School, killing 19 children and two adults, before he was shot dead by police.
The teen was armed with a handgun, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazines, officials said.
In the wake of the devastating incident, US President Joe Biden has urged Americans to stand up to the gun lobby.
Giving an address, he said: “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?
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“It is time to turn this pain to the action, for every parent, every citizen of this country. We have to make it clear to every elected official in this country: it’s time to act. It’s time for those who obstruct or delay or blocked the common sense gun laws – we need to let you know that we will not forget.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Jess Hardiman