Felix Rubio, a deputy at Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office called for gun control reform that bans the purchase of AR-15 that was used in the shooting.
Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of gun violence that some readers may find distressing
Felix Rubio, a Sheriff's deputy, was one of the first to respond to the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. He was at school half an hour before the shooting, attending an honor roll ceremony with his daughter Alexandria "Lexi" Rubio. Little did he know that it was the last time he would see his 10-year-old daughter. He left school but returned almost immediately after learning of the shooting. "One deputy sheriff lost a daughter in that school," Governor Abbott told reporters in a press as information filtered out. Lexi was one of 19 children who was killed along with two teachers in the massacre at their school in Uvalde, Texas. Felix and his wife, Kimberly, are heartbroken but incredibly proud of their daughter. "She was kind, sweet, and appreciated life," they told CNN. "She was going to be an all-star in softball and had a bright future, whether it's sports or academic. Please let the world know we miss our baby."
Kimberly posted a picture of her and Felix and Lexi's school earlier that day and posted a tribute to her on Facebook. "My beautiful, smart, Alexandria Aniyah Rubio was recognized today for All-A honor roll. She also received the good citizen award. We told her we loved her and would pick her up after school. We had no idea this was goodbye." This was the second deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in 2012. Seventeen students were also injured in the shooting. The children killed were in the second, third, and fourth grades. Later, Kimberly posted a second photo of Lexi playing with snow and wrote, "If he could have seen what I see, he wouldn’t have hurt my baby. No one would have. I wish everyone could see her as I do." In another post, the heartbroken Mom wrote, "My sweet Lexi. Love of my life. Keeper of my soul. I carried you inside me. I’m you. You are me. I want to be with you. Now. Not later."
America has witnessed 212 mass shootings this year alone and it's only May. That's 212 mass shootings and 27 school shootings in just 144 days in 2022, according to the nonprofit organization Gun Violence Archive. Even as Gun control advocates and many Democrats are calling for sensible gun control measures, Republicans continue to accuse them of making the tragedy political. Kimberly doesn't want this to happen ever again and knows only police decisions can change the course of the country and make children feel safe again. “We live in this really small town in this red state, and everyone keeps telling us, you know, that it’s not the time to be political, but it is — it is,” said a tearful Rubio, reported New York Times. “Don’t let this happen to anybody else.”
Governor Greg Abbott’s office contacted her to see if they would be willing to meet the governor but Kimberly and Felix refused to. “My first thought was, ‘My Lexi doesn’t even like him,’” said Kimberly. “She was really little, but we talked about this stuff at home.” Felix Rubio is calling on the state to outlaw the purchase of AR-15 rifles, the gun used by the shooter in Uvalde. He is aware that not everyone at the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office, where he is a deputy, would support the call for gun control measures but he is adamant to fight for the cause. “Our baby wanted to be a lawyer; she wanted to make a difference,” said Rubio. “Please make sure she makes one now.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help Alexandria Rubio's family cover expenses.
References:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/25/us/victims-uvalde-texas-school-shooting/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=5417336031664049&set=a.158496770881361
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/texas-elementary-school-shooting-05-24-22/h_054d09db74711633984a8944dd638d2d
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/26/us/lexi-rubio-uvalde-texas-victim.html
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-family-of-alexandria-rubio
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
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