GERMANY IS SCHEDULED TO LAND IN
WASHINGTON LATER TODAY.
>> WE WANT TO TURN BACK NOW TO
THE TRAGEDY HERE AT ROBB
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE 21
PEOPLE, 19 CHILDREN AND TWO
TEACHERS, LOST THEIR LIVES WHEN
AN SL YEAR OLD GUNMAN OPENED
FIRE INSIDE THE CLASSROOMS.
AND ONE OF THOSE TEACHERS WAS
EVA MIRELES, TAUGHT FOURTH
GRADY.
HER COUSIN AMBER IS WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
WISH WE WOULD WRAP OUR ARMS
AROUND YOU THIS MORNING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND BEING
HERE TO O HONOR NOT JUST MY
FAMILY BUT ALL THE FAMILIES
AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY.
>> Reporter: HOW IS THE FAMILY
DOING?
I KNOW YOUR COUSIN HAD A HUSBAND
AND DAUGHTER, HOW ARE THEY
HOLDING UP?
>> I HOPE TO TALK TO THEM MORE
AND TO KIND OF SEE WHAT I CAN DO
TO SUPPORT THEM.
I KNOW EVERYONE IS GOING THROUGH
A LOT.
THIS IS A VERY SUDDEN AND VERY
TRAUMATIC.
AND NO ONE WALKED INTO THAT
SCHOOL YESTERDAY KNOWING THAT
ANYTHING LIKE THIS WAS POSSIBLE.
AND SO MY HEART AND MY PRAYERS
ARE GOING OUT TO THEM.
>> Reporter: EVA HAD BEEN A
TEACHER, EDUCATOR FOR 17 YEARS.
WAS VERY PROUD OF THAT.
SHE WAS TEACHING FOURTH GRADE.
SHE OFTEN TAUGHT SPECIAL ED,
SPECIAL NEEDS.
WHAT KIND OF PERSON WAS SHE?
>> SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY VIVACIOUS.
SHE WAS DEFINITELY AN
ADVENTURER.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT BREAKS MY
HEART.
I JUST SAW HER FOR CHRISTMAS
THIS LAST DECEMBER.
AND SHE WAS JUST -- HER COOKING
WAS AMAZING, HER LAUGHTER WAS
CONTAGIOUS.
AND SHE’S GOING TO BE MISSED.
AND I JUST COMPLETELY FEEL FOR
EVERYONE WHO LOST A LOVED ONE
YESTERDAY.
>> Reporter: WHAT DID TEACHING
MEAN TO HER?
>> YOU KNOW, I CAN’T REALLY
SPEAK FOR HER.
BUT I WILL SAY SHE DID LOVE WHAT
SHE DID AT THE SCHOOL AND SHE
PUT HER HEART INTO EVERYTHING
THAT SHE DID.
>> Reporter: THERE HAVE BEEN
SOME REPORTS THAT SHE WAS TRYING
TO PROTECT THE STUDENTS AT THE
MOMENT THAT SHE LOST HER OWN
LIFE, WHICH I’M SURE DOES NOT
SURPRISE YOU.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE THE WOMAN
YOU KNOW?
>> 100 PERCENT.
SHE IS A HERO.
>> Reporter: WHAT ABOUT THIS
TOWN?
IT IS A SMALL TOWN.
CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG, I THINK
YOU WENT TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HERE.
WHAT IS THIS TOWN LIKE?
>> YES, I GREW UP THERE IN
UVALDE.
ACTUALLY, I AM GOING TO UVALDE
THIS MORNING TO VISIT FAMILY.
THE HOUSE I GREW UP IN IS JUST A
MINUTE AWAY FROM ROBB ELEMENTARY
ELEMENTARY.
AND I DID GO THERE AS A KID.
SO DID MY YOUNGER BROTHER.
AND IT IS A TIGHT KNIT
COMMUNITY.
EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYBODY.
MY COUSIN RUBEN IS IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT THERE, WHO IS EVA’S
HUSBAND.
AND YEAH, EVERYONE IS JUST VERY
CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND I HOPE THAT WE COULD SUPPORT
EACH OTHER IN THIS VERY TOUGH
TIME.
AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO RISE
UP AS A COMMUNITY AND BE THERE
FOR ONE ANOTHER.
BECAUSE THESE FAMILIES NEED IT.
>> Reporter: THEY NEED IT.
AMBER THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR
MEMORIES OF EVA.
WE WILL REMEMBER HER TOO, EVA
MIRELES, FOURTH GRADE TEACHER,
MOTHER AND WIFE.
OUR CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND HER
FAMILY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HODA AND CRAIG, THIS IS ONE
OF 21 STORIES.
21 SPECIAL SOULS WHO LOST THEIR
LIVES FOR NO GOOD REASON.
AND WE ARE JUST REALLY STARTING
TO COUNT THE TOLL AS THE SUN
COMES UP HERE.
>> AND AS YOU WERE SAYING, THERE
ARE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES,
AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO
WITNESSED IT WHO WILL ALSO BE
FOREVER CHANGED.
AND THERE ARE STILL CHILDREN IN
THE HOSPITAL.
THINK ABOUT WHEN YOUR KID HEARSE
A THUNDER CLAP AND HOW SCARED
THEY GET.
A THUNDER CLAP AND HOW SCARED
THEY GET.
AND THEN IMAGINE WHAT THESE
CHILDREN WITNESSED.
>> IT IS UNSPEAKABLE.
I WAS LISTENING TO AN INTERVIEW
AND HE SAYS AT LEAST WE WERE IN
HIGH SCHOOL.
WE COULD PUT WORDS TO IT.
WE HAD THE VOCABULARY TO EXPRESS
WHAT WE’VE BEEN THROUGH.
THESE ARE LITTLE KIDS.
THEY HAVE NO WAY TO PROCESS
THIS.
AND IT IS JUST I THINK THAT IS
WHY THIS HAS JUST SHAKEN SO MANY
PEOPLE, CERTAINLY IN THIS
COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE WHO HEARS
ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH TO
JUST IMAGINE YOUR LITTLE ONE AND
WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO YOU.
AND I THINK THAT’S WHY, I HOPE
THAT THIS REALLY STICKS WITH
PEOPLE AND THEY START
CONSIDERING WHAT THIS MEANS.
>> YEAH.
>> THANK YOU GOOD POINT.