A grieving father broke into tears as he recalled the moment he found out his young daughter was killed by the Texas elementary school shooter.
On Tuesday, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos stormed Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and fatally shot 19 children and two teachers.
Following one of America’s deadliest school shootings, one father whose daughter was shot dead in the onslaught has spoken out and broken into tears as he recalled receiving the worst news a parent could ever get.
Speaking to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, med-aide Angel Garza explained how he helped a young girl who was crying hysterically while “covered in blood head to toe” after fleeing from the elementary school.
“I thought she was injured, I asked her what was wrong and she said she’s OK. She was hysterical, saying that they shot her best friend, that they killed her best friend, she’s not breathing and she was trying to call the cops. And I asked the little girl the name and she told me, she said Amerie,” Garza said.
His daughter, Amerie Jo Garza, was one of the 19 young students who were shot dead by Ramos after he opened fire at the school.
Breaking into tears while speaking to Cooper, Garza said he wanted people to remember his daughter as a brave little girl who tried to save her classmates by calling the police when the shooter entered her classroom.
“She was just trying to call authorities and I guess he just shot her. How do you look at this girl and shoot her? Oh, my baby. How do you shoot my baby?” he said.
“I just want people to know that she died trying to save her classmates. She just wanted to save everyone.”
Garza went on to brand 10-year-old Amerie as the “sweetest little girl” ever who was always afraid of finding herself in a situation like the one that cost her her life at such a young age.
“I just want to know what she did to be a victim,” the father added while fighting back his tears.
“She was so sweet… she was the sweetest little girl who did nothing wrong.
“She listened to her mom and dad, she always brushed her teeth, she was creative, she made things for us, she never got in trouble in school.”
Meanwhile, Amerie’s mom, Kimberly Garcia, posted a touching tribute to her daughter on Facebook where she said her heart has been completely shattered by her daughter’s death.
“Mommy loves you, mommy can’t sleep without you, Mommy needs you, Amerie I can’t do this life without you,” Garcia wrote.
“How am I supposed to live life without you? I will never understand. I love you and I’ll never be the same, ever again.”
She added: “My heart is completely shattered, life for me will never be the same.”
Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of the senseless shooting.
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