TYLER, Texas — Several East Texans gathered at Bergfeld Park to honor the victims of the Uvalde mass shooting, with many calling for politicians to create stricter gun laws and solutions.
Shelia Thrash, a retired principal, wanted to express how even if Uvalde is 400 miles away, this still felt close to home. She said it's amazing how powerful education relationships are in a community.
"Wherever they are, they’re our children," Thrash said. "We've got a lot of retired educators here and a lot of teachers here tonight. They're all our children, we're all Texans and we're all in this together."
Together, this group mourns for the 21 victims of the shooting at Robb Elementary. What started as a vigil for the victims became an outcry from several speakers for change.
"There is injustice everywhere," said Michael Cooper, a former Texas gubernatorial candidate. "If you don’t stand for something then another 21 people will fall."
Several signs at the vigil called for the protection of children and not assault weapons. Thrash emphasizes on what she would do if she could meet a hurting family in Uvalde.
"I would just sit and cry with," Thrash said. "There aren't any words. I would just sit and cry with them. That's all I could do."