Names of the dead are being disclosed by distraught families in Texas elementary school mass shooting.
An 8-year-old described as "the sweetest little boy" and an "adventurous" teacher who was a loving wife and mother are among 22 people shot dead at Robb Elementary School. Grieving relatives took to social media Wednesday to identify 19 children and two teachers who were slaughtered the day before.
All of the dead were gunned down in a fourth-grade classroom when a high school student barricaded himself inside and the teachers tried to shield their charges as round after round was fired into them, authorities said.
Social media exploded late Tuesday with loving, family portraits posted by relatives desperate for news of their children. Parents waited long into the night outside a community center to learn if their children were among the dead. Their anguished screams could be heard outside, according to local reports.
Devastated relatives could be seen weeping and bending in grief as they came outside. It was the worst school shooting in U.S history since the Sandy Hook massacre of 2012.
Ten-year-old Amerie Jo Garza was shot and killed as she dialed 911 for help, her grandmother told The Daily Beast. The children were just days from summer vacation.
Here is what is known thus far:
Amerie Jo Garza, 10
Angel Garza identified his daughter in a Facebook post that has now gone viral. “Thank you everyone for the prayers and help trying to find my baby. She’s been found. My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don’t take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them. I love you Amerie Jo," he wrote.
Earlier in the day, she had been awarded a certificate for making the honor roll.
Uziyah Garcia, 8
Manny Renfro, Uziyah's grandfather, described him as "the sweetest little boy" he ever met. “I’m not just saying that because he was my grandkid,” Renfro told The Associated Press. Renfro last saw the child during spring break. “We started throwing the football together and I was teaching him pass patterns — such a fast little boy and he could catch a ball so good,” he said.
Eva Mireles, 44
The veteran teacher had been on the job for 17 years, according to her school bio.
Her aunt, Lydia Martinez Delgado, issued a statement, saying, "I'm furious that these shootings continue. These children are innocent. Rifles should not be easily available to all. This is my hometown, a small community of less than 20,000. I never imagined this would happen to especially loved ones."
Cousin Amber Ybarra said she was not surprised Mireles died trying to protect her students. "She is a hero," Ybarra told NBC’s “Today” on Wednesday. "Her cooking was amazing. Her laughter was contagious, and she’s going to be missed," Ybarra added. "She put her heart into everything that she did."
Irma Garcia, 46
Garcia had taught with Mireles for the last five years, the school said. She had four children and loved music and barbecuing with her husband. Her son said a friend in law enforcement saw his mother shielding students while the gunman fired, NBC News reported.
Her nephew, John, posted to social media, "My Tia did not make it, she sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom. IRMA GARCIA IS HER NAME and she died a HERO. She was loved by many and will truly be missed."
Xavier Javier Lopez, 10
Cousin Lisa Garza said she was struggling to cope with the loss of a "loving 10-year-old little boy, just enjoying life, not knowing that this tragedy was going to happen today,” she said. "He was very bubbly, loved to dance with his brothers, his mom. This has just taken a toll on all of us."
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