Uvalde Parents and a Survivor Urge Congress for Gun Control

In a powerful testimony before Congress, parents and a surviving child from Uvalde shared their harrowing experiences in hopes of prompting action on gun control. “I don’t want it to happen again,” expressed 4th-grader Mia Alvarez, a survivor of the tragic shooting.

Children and parents often exhibit extraordinary bravery in their efforts to protect each other, sometimes extending that courage to advocate for their fellow citizens. While such sacrifices should never be expected, we must acknowledge those who rise to the occasion. Among the heroes from Uvalde are 4th-grader Mia Alvarez, her father Marco Alvarez, and the parents of Sofia Martinez, Angela and Rick Martinez. These courageous families recounted the unimaginable trauma of the shooting during a hearing with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, aiming to convince lawmakers to take decisive steps to prevent further tragedies.

In a recorded video, Mia described the horrifying events that transpired in her classroom on May 24. “We were just watching a movie,” she recalled, when her teacher was alerted to a threat and rushed to lock the door. The teacher made eye contact with the gunman before telling the students to hide. “We crawled behind my teacher’s desk and the backpacks,” Mia recounted. The gunman then entered through a connecting door, saying “good night” to her teacher before fatally shooting her and then targeting classmates.

“I was scared he would come back,” Mia said, explaining how she smeared the blood of a deceased friend on herself and remained silent until she could reach for her teacher’s phone to call 911. When asked if she feels safe at school, Mia shook her head, saying, “because I don’t want it to happen again.”

Angela Martinez shared the devastating moment she learned that her daughter Sofia had died. With tears in her eyes, she recounted dropping her two younger children off at Robb Elementary for an awards ceremony. “Sofia received the ‘Good Citizen’ award and was recognized for her straight A’s,” Angela said. After promising Sofia ice cream that evening and telling her they loved her, Angela, who works as a journalist, first heard about the chaos at the school through a police scanner.

“We focused on finding Sofia. Bus after bus came, but she wasn’t on any of them.” The family searched local hospitals, but eventually Angela felt compelled to return to the school, running barefoot to get there. When they arrived at the civic center, they learned their daughter was among the victims. “We don’t want you to think of Sofia as just a number,” Angela declared. “Today, we stand for Sofia, and as her voice, we demand action,” she insisted, listing several proposed gun control measures.

“If given the chance, Sofia would have made a positive impact. She dreamed of attending St. Mary’s University on a softball scholarship, majoring in math and going to law school. That future was taken from her. She was taken from us,” Angela testified. “Somewhere out there, a mom is listening to our testimony, thinking, ‘I can’t even imagine their pain,’ unaware that unless we act now, her reality could mirror ours.”

During the hearing, politicians and gun violence experts also provided testimony. New York City Mayor Eric Adams highlighted the need for federal gun safety laws, referencing the ongoing crisis of gun violence, despite New York’s strict measures. “We need federal support,” he stated.

Representative Carolyn Maloney, chair of the hearing, emphasized that while we are in a crisis, we are not powerless. Let’s hope that the heartfelt pleas of Mia Alvarez and Angela Martinez resonate with lawmakers, leading to a ban on assault weapons and the implementation of robust gun control measures to safeguard children.

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In summary, the testimony from Uvalde’s survivors and their families underscores the urgent need for gun control reform. Their experiences reveal the devastating consequences of gun violence and the necessity for lawmakers to act decisively to protect future generations.

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