UVALDE, Texas — Through his pain, Jorge Flores made his way across the road leading up to the memorial site outside of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on Thursday.
Wooden white crosses sat side by side. He walked to the one with his grandson’s name inscribed on it: Jose Flores.
Jose, 10, was the grandson that he raised.
“It hurts too much,” Flores said moments after he placed balloons on his grandson’s cross.
Flores broke down in tears as he described what the young boy was like.
“Happy go lucky… full of love. He was my love,” Jorge said.
His grandson, Jose, was killed in the same classroom as his cousin, Eliahana Torres.
“These tragedies, it needs to be stopped. Get the weapons out of people’s hands we don’t need those,” Jorge said.
Minutes later, Martin Quiroz visited the memorial. He told WFAA he lost his little cousin, 10-year-old Jayce Luevanos, in the shooting. Jayce also died with his cousin, 11-year-old Jailah Silguero.
“There are no words that you can say or comfort anybody,” Quiroz said.
People prayed as the day went on. Some knelt, others held each other. A group of men sang "Amazing Grace" in a circle.
“It’s senseless,” said Uvalde’s Tabernacle of Worship Pastor Daniel Myers. Myers, who leads the church with his wife, Matilda Myers, told WFAA they rushed to the school minutes after they learned a shooter had gone in.
They stood outside and prayed as the tragedy unfolded.
Matilda said she couldn’t stop thinking about the screams from parents who worried for their children.
“They were just crying, running towards the school… but they were being held back. They wouldn’t let them close to the school,” Matilda said.
Parents and grandparents were ready to risk their own lives if it meant saving the children.
Jorge said he will never be the same without his grandson.
“I died with him,” Jorge said. “I wish I could.”