Angel Garza, father of 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, discovered his daughter had been killed in the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, while on the scene as a medical aide.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper spoke with the devastated father who stood clutching a framed photograph of his daughter. Through tears, Garza explained the horrific moment he learned his daughter had been killed.
“When I arrived on the scene, they still had kids inside, they started bringing the kids out,” Garza said. “One little girl was just covered in blood head to toe, like, I thought she was injured. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she’s ok. She was hysterical saying that they shot her best friend, that they killed her best friend and she’s not breathing, and that she was trying to call the cops. And I asked the little girl the name and she told me, she said Amerie.”
The video shows Garza clearly consumed with grief as he detailed the devastating moment he realized he had lost his daughter.
“She was so sweet, she was the sweetest little girl who did nothing wrong. She listened to her mom and dad. She always brushed her teeth. She was creative, she made things for us. She never got in trouble at school. I just want to know what she did to be a victim,” Garza said. (RELATED: The Innocent Victims Gunned Down In The Texas School Massacre)
Amerie Jo Garza, 10
She was killed in her Texas school hours after this photo was taken pic.twitter.com/PLHXzmUGT7
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) May 25, 2022
He went on to say Amerie had just celebrated her 10th birthday two weeks before the shooting. Garza also described the impact Amerie’s death has had on his family. He said his 3-year-old son “asks for his sister every morning when he wakes up.”
“We’ve informed him that his sister is now with God and that she will no longer be with us, and of course, he just cried. I mean he’s 3 years old, and it’s still emotional for him to even process,” he said.
Garza continued, saying, “She was just trying to call authorities, and I guess he just shot her. How do you look at this girl and shoot her?”
Angel Garza confirms death:
“Thank you everyone for the prayers & help trying to find my baby. She’s been found. My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don’t take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them. I love you Amerie jo” 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/O9Vu0ThPyF— Mireya Villarreal (@ABCMireya) May 25, 2022
“Oh my baby, how do you shoot my baby?” Garza said through tears.
When asked how he wants his daughter to be remembered, the devastated father said, “She just died trying to save her classmates, she just wanted to save everyone,” according to CNN.