News
‘I forgive him’: Uvalde victim’s uncle turns to his faith in wake of deadly school shooting
“I am unable to clarify the enjoyment I had after I noticed my son stroll out of these doorways, and I lastly had him. However as a father or mother, I needed to squeeze him proper there, however I needed to get him out as a result of I did not need him to see all that,” Alonzo stated throughout an interview exterior his Uvalde house.
His son was secure, however he quickly realized that his niece, Ellie Garcia, was nonetheless unaccounted for.
He referred to as his sister-in-law Jennifer, Ellie’s mom, and instructed her that he would verify the close by SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Heart, the place officers have been taking college students to reunite with their households.
When he bought there, it was already round 4 p.m. and virtually empty.
“The college officers inform me that there isn’t any extra kids right here. They’ve all been picked up.
“‘Do you’ve got a listing? Do you’ve got a listing of the scholars that have been right here?’” Alonzo remembered frantically asking.
“That college official, I might see it in her eyes and her eyes grew to become glassy and teary, and he or she stated, ‘Sir, they’re going to make a press release quickly.’”
“”However I am lacking my niece. She’s not right here,’” he recalled pleading.
“‘They will make a press release quickly,’” he remembered her replying merely. He knew then that one thing was terribly improper.
Alonzo took his son house and later noticed on social media that Eva Mireles, Ellie’s trainer, was lifeless.
“In my thoughts, I attempted to remain optimistic, however the actuality of it was sinking in at the moment,” he stated. “It wasn’t till my spouse instructed me that they have been taking DNA swabs from all of the mother and father. … Why else would they want DNA swabs?”
“By far the worst day of my life. And I am going to always remember that day. I can replay these hours so vividly in my thoughts and it is simply etched in my thoughts,” Alonzo stated.
Forgiveness – even for the gunman
Ellie Garcia and her uncle Adrian have been very shut. He, his spouse and their son — Aiden, Ellie’s cousin — picked Ellie up for church most Sundays. Alonzo describes her as a cheerful child who beloved her household and associates, her canine Rocco, TikTok dances and basketball.
She was excited for her tenth birthday developing on June 4. She is going to now by no means attain these magical double digits. Her household will bury her two days afterward June 6.
Ellie’s uncle grew to become understandably emotional explaining that chilly actuality.
“These days shall be right here, and I simply pray that God offers our household consolation and the power to make it by way of that weekend,” he stated.
Alonzo stated that he bonded together with his niece over their religion, which is clearly carrying him by way of this unimaginable tragedy.
He even volunteered that he forgives the gunman who killed his niece, 18 different kids, and a pair of adults in chilly blood.
“I forgive him. As highly effective as that, I forgive him,” Alonzo stated.
When pressed on how he might get to the place the place he forgives the shooter solely days after the bloodbath and even earlier than Ellie was buried, he cited Scripture.
“The Bible says in Ephesians 4 that we should forgive each other, simply as God has forgiven. And I maintain no hatred towards him,” Alonzo stated.
To make certain, he’s very indignant.
“I’m full of anger, however I really feel no hatred in the direction of him,” he stated calmly.
“She might have been saved. She may need been injured. We do not know if she was alive inside these, what was it, 70 minutes, I believe. We do not know if she was alive. I can solely hope that she felt no ache and I hope it was fast and he or she didn’t endure. Who is aware of? Perhaps she would not have been a survivor. However I really feel inside these minutes, hour, we’d not have 19 kids,” he stated, including that he additionally forgives anybody in regulation enforcement who made any errors.
Stopping extra mass shootings
Alonzo is a hunter and a gun proprietor. He says that will not change.
However he doesn’t assume assault weapons just like the one the shooter purchased legally in Texas needs to be allowed.
“Do I consider that our weapons needs to be taken away from civilians? No, I am towards that, however I’m for the ban of AR-15 assault rifles. No civilian ought to have that type of rifle, solely navy and police. These are weapons of battle, and civilians don’t want weapons of battle,” Alonzo stated. “Collectively, I believe lots will be executed, not solely gun legal guidelines, but in addition in social media algorithms, one thing. For example the algorithm had caught these phrases and a notification would’ve been despatched to authorities, ‘Hey, this person is saying he will shoot the college.’ They might’ve gotten into that actual fast and probably, possibly, then stopped it.”
He hopes politicians can put their variations apart and discover options, however like most Individuals, he’s skeptical.
For now, he’s targeted on his household – serving to his son, Ellie’s cousin, cope. He’s serving to Ellie’s mother and father — his sister-in-law and brother-in-law — with errands and no matter else they want. And he’s talking out about his lovely niece.
“We have been grateful to have Ellie for the 9 years of her life with us. We are going to always remember her,” Alonzo stated. “She is going to all the time be part of this household, even in her demise.”
CNN’s Monica Serrano, Alexa Miranda and Hope Howard contributed to this report.