Father Learned Of Daughter's Death In Texas Shooting From Her Best Friend

Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves At Least 21 Dead

Photo: Getty Images

The father one of the victims killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas shared heartbreaking details of his daughter's death with CNN on Wednesday (May 25).

Angel Garza, father of Amerie Jo Garza, a recent honor roll student, told CNN's Anderson Cooper that he learned of his daughter's death from her best friend several hours after initial reports of the incident.

Garza told Cooper he works as a medical aide and was assisting the child at the scene as children were being evacuated from the school.

Amerie's friend told Angel that his daughter was trying to call the police during the shooting.

"One little girl was just covered in blood head to toe, 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 and she's not breathing and that she was trying to call the cops and I asked the little girl the name and she said 'Amerie,'" Garza said with tears. "She was so sweet, Mr. Cooper. 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 like, I just want to know what she did to be a victim."

The Texas Department of Safety confirmed 19 children and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday (May 24) via NBC News.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott publicly identified the shooter as Salvador Ramos, 18, who was "believed" to be killed by responding officers, on Tuesday afternoon.

"He shot and killed horrifically and incomprehensibly 14 students and killed a teacher," Abbott said during an unrelated press briefing via ABC News.

Ramos -- who had a handgun and possibly a rifle during the incident -- reportedly shot his grandmother before entering Robb Elementary School and once again opening fire, according to Gov. Abbott.

Local authorities confirmed "some people" died in the shooting, however, did not provide a confirmed total during a press conference held on Tuesday (May 24) afternoon.

The incident on Tuesday was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. elementary school since the 2012 incident at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut, which resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six adults.


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