For Andrea Herrera, a survivor of last year’s mass shooting Rob Primary School Uvalde, Texas, is a daily struggle. Not only was he there the day 19 children and two teachers were killed, but his 10-year-old half-brother, Jose Flores, also lost his life in the classroom next door.
Herrera is still plagued with haunting memories.
“It keeps going over and over in my head, the same thing over and over again,” Herrera said.
She thought she would be able to see Flores and hug her after the attack, but instead, she cried when she heard he didn’t survive the shooting.
Flores’ whereabouts that day continue to haunt him and he wonders how scared he was in the classroom. According to his mother Cynthia, his mental health and grades have been deteriorating since the shooting.
The Herreras consider leaving, but Jose’s memory keeps them stuck in Uvalde.
Tensions also rose in the city as families of the victims sought greater accountability for the day’s actions. Despite the district investing millions of dollars to beef up security on all public school campuses, including installing fences and 600 security cameras, some families argue that Not enough progress.
Brett Cross lost his 10-year-old Uzziah Garcia, and refuses to give up his fight for answers and change. He led efforts at the local, state and federal levels, claiming responsibility for the failures of the day.
“If I stop, I’m useless,” Cross said. “Uvalde no longer wants to be known as Uvalde, you know they don’t want it to be, ‘Oh, we’re known for Rob Elementary.’ But the fact is, are you because our schools have failed. Because our police have failed. Because our government has failed. And you want to stop me? I’ve lost the kid. I’ve got nothing left to lose.”
One of the most obvious failures was the delayed response law enforcement. It took 77 minutes for 376 officers from more than 20 organizations to break down classroom doors and stop the shooter. The breakdown of trust between the community and the police force is deeply felt for some.
Cross said it was “outrageous” to be policed by the same officers who were there the day of the shooting.
“There were officers who could have ended it … but he was told to stand down. And they listened,” he said. “And then you see them, you’re drawn by them.”
“It’s upsetting … because now I’m looking into the eyes of someone who heard our kids screaming, who heard the gunman reload and didn’t rush in,” he said.
In an effort to rebuild trust, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin recently hired an assistant police chief from outside the city. However, like the victims’ families, he is awaiting the results of the local district attorney’s criminal investigation. The delay in getting updates from the district attorney’s office frustrated him.
“As the mayor and I think I speak for the county judge as well, I’m not going to just throw everything at the DA. But in a year, I haven’t had one briefing, not one,” McLaughlin said.
CBS News has reached out to Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell about the criminal investigation. He said it is still in the hands of the Texas Rangers and that once he receives their findings, his office will review them and present any potential charges to a Uvalde grand jury.
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Lilia Luciano
