The family of Eliahna "Ellie" Garcia is grieving the loss of the 10-year-old who lost her life after a gunman stormed inside an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 children and two teachers.
Eliahna's great-grandparents say that the immediate family of Eliahna is currently experiencing great pain from the loss. As the nightmare began Tuesday, Eliahna's mom, Jennifer Lugo, had posted a photo of her daughter on Facebook pleading for help in finding her.
"If anyone hears or sees anything please let me know," Lugo wrote.
Eliahna was one of five siblings. Her great-grandmother, Ana Arizmendi, said that her sister and the rest of her siblings are hurting.
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"We never imagined something could have happened to her," Ana Arizmendi said. "They're destroyed. Her sister, she is destroyed"
"The parents of our granddaughter are hurting, all of them," great-grandfather Rafael Arizmendi, told Telemundo, an NBC partner station. "It's very hard, we never imagined something like this could happen."
Adolfo Hernández, a friend of the family, is also grieving the loss of Eliahna. His nephew, who was a classmate of Eliahna, survived the shooting. Hernández said Eliahna was a "princess" that "God took from us too soon."
Citing his nephew's experience, Hernández said the classroom heard a sound, followed by gunfire. Hernández said his nephew saw a classmate was shot in the face
Siria Arizmendi, Garcia's aunt and a fifth-grade teacher at Flores Elementary School in the same school district, also told the Associated Press that Eliahna was "very happy and very outgoing."
“She loved to dance and play sports," she said. "She was big into family, enjoyed being with the family.”
NBC Telemundo spoke with Matthew de León, a priest who said that it's "incredible" to see how the community is turning their focus to praying for their family members and friends.
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