UVALDE, Texas — A grandmother in Uvalde is grateful that her 9-year-old grandson survived after being shot at Robb Elementary, and she's praying for those who were killed.
"He goes, 'It sounded like fireworks, Grandma.' It was in his classroom," she said. The boy was scared after being shot in the leg, but he is on the road to recovery.
"He has just been released, thank you God," she said. "It didn't go through any bone. It didn't do any damage, hopefully no nerve damage and stuff, but he was just released and we thank God for that. We're praying for all of the children that were taken by this mass murderer. He took a life of a teacher. And all these families are at a loss for everything that's happened."
According to the most recent U.S. Census data, approximately 25,000 people live in Uvalde County, a tight-knit community 85 miles west of San Antonio and 70 miles east of the U.S. Mexico border in Del Rio.
Robb Elementary School is in a residential neighborhood near the center of Uvalde, serving students in grades two through four.
"This is a small town, small community," she said. "I know it's going to bring us tighter and closer together. I just I pray for everybody, I do, and I am so happy that my grandson is fine. He's scared right now, he said he was scared but he's fine."
She recalled the frantic moments after learning of the shooting.
"I had gone to the civic center because my daughter was waiting for him," she said. "I called her, I go, 'there's been a shooting at the school.' She was like, 'Where?' I said at Robb and she's like, 'Oh, no, mom,' you know, her son. She took off over there and I called her she wouldn't answer me and I was like, 'what's going on?' And she's like, 'He was shot.'"
"And I took off, I didn't even know where I was driving to," she said. "I was like in a fog. In a fog. I mean, he's the baby. But now he's home. He's gonna go home and rest now."
The boy was thankful for the first responders who took care of him, in good enough spirits to get a picture with the officers who walked him out. It was an emotional moment for the boy's mother.
"She was happy. She cried. She was happy to see him walk out all the officers and stuff, and they were wonderful."