The families of victims of the Uvalde school shooting continue to push for legislative action to better protect Texas children from future gun violence.
In just about every corner of Brett Cross’s yard, you’ll find reminders of Uziyah, a 10-year-old with a huge heart.
“He’d go out of his way to make you laugh, to make you smile. I mean, he literally was a beacon of happiness. And yeah, it's rough because he's not here to help put the smile back on our faces, you know?” said Cross.
It’s been one year since Cross got a call from his wife Nikki as she stood outside of Robb Elementary School with reports of a man inside armed with a semi-automatic rifle.
“She’s trying to tell me what's going on, and then you hear, 'Pop, pop, pop, pop' in the back of the phone,” he said.
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An agonizing eight hours later, they learned Uziyah was among the 21 killed, 19 of whom were children. Seventeen others were injured in the attack.
It’s a constant reminder. You wake up and for a split second, you hope that this is just a dream and then you realize it's not. So it's just … it's hell.
Brett Cross
It’s a pain that, at times, has felt debilitating for Cross. But instead of crumbling under the grief, he said he’s channeled it into a fight, calling for change from Uvalde’s City Hall to Washington, D.C., and everywhere in between.
“Nobody else can speak for our kids but us. Nobody else is going to fight for our kids but us, so it’s something that we have to do,” he said.
Following the release of surveillance video showing that law enforcement waited for 77 minutes to confront the gunman, Cross set up camp, protesting for 10 straight days outside of the school district’s administrative building.
Eventually, his demands were rewarded when they suspended UCISD officers until an investigation into the response was complete.
Cross also made weekly trips to the Texas statehouse, where he’s become known for his loud and often uncensored style.
“Thoughts and prayers, I’m sick of hearing those three words from our elected officials,” said Cross as he testified in support of HB2744, which would raise the age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle to 21.
Cross has never shied away from what he calls the “ugly truth” about his son’s death.
“He was shot through his spine and it exited his stomach. He didn't have a stomach when we buried him. We're going to feel this pain for the rest of our lives. And these lawmakers that have the power to make changes and save our children, I’m going to make them feel our pain, you know,” said Cross.
It's a mission that’s united the families of the victims and one that Jesse Rizo said is often met with disappointment. With his niece Jackie Cazares and other children in mind, Rizo said his family pushes forward.
“We aren't doing it because of Jackie, you know? We're not doing it because of Lexi or Tess or Uziyah. We're doing it so that you don't have to go through this one day. Your grandchild doesn't have to go through that, because it doesn't discriminate. That's the hard part,” said Rizo.
Because it’s a matter of when, he said, not if.
“We don't want you to feel that your aspirations, your dreams, your goals, what you thought that your little girl would one day do, get married and have children, that all that has vanished, you know? So that is the reason that we do that. Not for us, but for you,” he said.
Over the last several months, Uvalde has watched as an elementary school in Nashville and an outlet mall in Allen became part of the latest statistics.
Meanwhile in Austin, the families’ gun reform bill moved from committee to the House floor at the last second following days of protest.
Now, the clock ticks down on their chance to see it passed as law with the legislative session set to end on May 29.
Still, they said they won’t lose hope.
“We're too stubborn to stop. So they can have us wait as much as they want. We're not going anywhere,” said Cross.
