Uvalde funerals for Texas school shooting victims begin: Live updates – USA TODAY

UVALDE, Texas — Funeral directors, morticians, florists and others from around Texas arrived this week to help as the first funerals begin Tuesday for the 19 students and two teachers killed last week at Robb Elementary School.

Jimmy Lucas, president of the Texas Funeral Directors Association, told NBC News he brought a hearse and volunteered to work as a driver or help in any way. Former Uvalde resident Leslie Garza, a florist based in San Antonio, told NPR she drove down to volunteer with a group putting together floral arrangements.

Nineteen of those killed will be laid to rest in caskets customized by Trey Ganem and his son, who are based in Edna, Texas, and worked over the three-day weekend to finish, CNN reported.

The first two funerals were set for Tuesday afternoon and evening, following visitations on Monday at the town’s two funeral homes whereAmerie Jo Garza, 10, was remembered as an “outgoing and funny” child who “wanted to help everyone else out,” and Maite Rodríguez, 10, was described as “smart, bright, beautiful, happy” and dreamed of being a marine biologist.

The services, which are expected to continue for the next two weeks, come as Uvalde grapples with law enforcement’s admittedly flawed response to the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School.

Beyond NRA: Gun-rights groups spend millions to influence gun laws

The National Rifle Association is accustomed to drawing national attention amid calls for gun-safety legislation following mass shootings. But a handful of other gun-rights groups also hold significant sway in the nation’s capital, where they fork over millions to lobbyists each year to help persuade legislators and policymakers to take their side on issues they care about.

Gun-rights advocacy organizations spent a record $15.8 million on lobbying last year, according to an analysis by Open Secrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks lobbying and campaign contributions. Since 1998, the industry has spent nearly $200 million on federal lobbying.

The top spender last year was not the NRA, which held its annual convention over the weekend. That spot went to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which paid lobbyists $5 million in 2021. Read more here.

— Donovan Slack and Chelsey Cox, USA TODAY

Chief who led shooting response won’t be sworn into city council

Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo, who led the law enforcement response to the mass shooting, was set to be sworn in as a newly elected city council member Tuesday, but Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday that would not happen.

“Our focus on Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones,” McLaughlin said in a statement Monday provided to USA TODAY. “We begin burying our children tomorrow, the innocent victims of last week’s murders at Robb Elementary School.”

It was not immediately clear if Arredondo would be sworn in at a later time or if it would be done privately. He was one of three council members scheduled to be sworn in Tuesday.

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/31/uvalde-funerals-texas-school-shooting-updates/9999526002/

últimas notícias

Ultimas Noticias

Uvalde funerals for Texas school shooting victims begin: Live updates – USA TODAY

Comments

Write a comment Cancel reply

busco pareja – ¡Es gratis! Suscríbase para encontrar el amor de tu vida

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta