The senators who this Wednesday attended the appearance of victims and relatives of those killed in the Uvalde shooting, where the 18-year-old Salvador Ramos killed 19 children and two teachers on May 24, will not easily forget the testimony of Miah Cerrillo, survivor of the massacre who saw and experienced almost all of it from her fourth grade classroom.
In the midst of the massacre, and when many companions had already been killed by the murderer, the girl smeared her body and face with the blood of some of them to fake her own death and thus save herself.
“The man said ‘good night’ to my teacher and shot her in the head,” Cerrillo said at one point in the appearance.
The story of the child had to cause shame to a good part of the senators who for days have been trying to negotiate measures to restrict access to weapons. Some measures that in any case seem insufficient.
A majority of Republicans capable of blocking any agreement are opposed or at least reluctant not only to prohibit the free acquisition of assault rifles, but to raise the minimum age required to purchase them from 18 to 21 years.
“We were watching a movie. My teacher received an email and went to close the door. He (the gunman) was in the hallway,” Miah began. “The two of them looked at each other and then she came back into the classroom and told us to hide. We hid behind the teacher’s desk.”
According to Miah’s account, Salvador Ramos “shot the small window” in the door of the room, “entered the classroom next door” and went to the door that connects both rooms.
That’s when he came to the teacher, “said ‘good night’ and shot her in the head.” She then directed her rifle at some of Miah’s companions and pulled the trigger on her. She also unloaded on the board. “And she shot my friend.”
Ramos left the classroom again. The girl, fearing that he would return, took blood from her companions and put it “everywhere”.
“And so I stayed quiet, I picked up my teacher’s phone and I called 911. I told them we needed help and to send the police to us,” she continued.
As is known, the police action was slow, unprofessional and negligent. A case.
At the end of the recording, an interviewer asks the girl if she felt safe at her school. She shakes her head. “Do you think it can happen again?” was the last question. She said yes.
