Texas school shooting suspect said 'goodnight,' played 'sad' music before firing, 11-year-old says
UVALDE, TEXAS - MAY 27: A memorial for victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School is seen on May 27, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. Steven C. McCraw, Director and Colonel of the Texas Department of Public Safety, held a press conference to give a
UVALDE, Texas - Robb Elementary shooting survivor Miah Cerrillo, 11, told a reporter that the Uvalde, Texas, gunman suspected of killing 21 people, including 19 children, said "goodnight" and played "sad" music before opening fire on 10 and 11-year-olds.
Miah and her classmates were watching "Lilo & Stitch" on Tuesday during their last week of school when her teachers, deceased Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia, received an email alerting teachers that a shooter was in the building, the 11-year-old said during an interview. Miah only agreed to the interview on the condition that she would be speaking to a female interviewer since she is afraid of men after the shooting and that she would not be recorded.
One of the teachers went to the classroom door, "and he was right there — they made eye contact," the 11-year-old told CNN. "Miah says it just happened all so fast. He backed the teacher into the classroom. He made eye contact with the teacher, again, looked her right in the eye and said 'goodnight' and then shot her and killed her."
The suspected gunman also began "blasting sad" music, which the 11-year-old described as what "sounded like 'I want people to die' music," upon entering the classroom.
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While her classmates and friends were being shot all around her, Miah had the intuition to cover herself in her nearby friend's blood to make herself appear dead.
She said that she had been in the classroom for three hours, but her mother corrected her and told her that she had only been in the classroom for one hour, during which time Miah thought the police had not yet arrived at Robb Elementary, according to CNN.
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Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said the gunman could have been in the school for 40 minutes to an hour.
On Thursday, the Uvalde Police Department Chief Daniel Rodriguez released a statement saying its officers responded to reports of a shooter "within minutes," alongside school district officers. Two responding officers sustained gunshot wounds.
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"This is an ongoing investigation that is being led by the Texas Rangers. I understand questions are surfacing regarding the details of what occurred. I know answers will not come fast enough during this trying time, but rest assured that with completion of the full investigation, I will be able to answer all the questions that we can," Rodriguez wrote.
Miah is now suffering from trauma and wounds from bullet fragments in her shoulders, back and head. A GoFundMe to assist with the 11-year-old's therapy costs called "donate to help miah" is listed on the fundraising website's Uvalde relief fund.
The victims of Tuesday's shooting include Mireles and Garcia; Uziyah Garcia, 8; Makenna Elrod, 10; Jose Flores Jr. 10; Rojelio Torres, 10; Xavier Lopez, 10; Amerie Jo Garza, 10; Annabelle Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10; Elijah Cruz Torres, 10; Eliahna Garcia, 10; Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10; Jaliah Nicole Silguero, 10; Tess Mata, 10; Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, 10; Jackie Cazares, 10; Nevaeh Bravo, 10; Layla Salazar, 11; Alithea Ramirez, 10; Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, 10; and Miranda Mathis, 11.