Uvalde Shooting: Families, Parents Hail Two Texas Teachers Who Shielded Students from Gunman as Heroes

Families, former students, and community members hailed two Texas teachers as heroes after protecting their students from Salvador Ramos, 18, who attacked the school Tuesday afternoon, resulting in the deaths of 19 students; the two teachers and the gunman himself.

As per CNBC, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez said that the shooter was able to enter a classroom, barricaded himself inside, and began shooting children and teachers there. The two teachers died trying to shield their students from the gunman after they burst into the classroom. The gunman was armed with a long-barrelled rifle with multiple rounds of ammunition and wore a "tactical vest" as body armor.

As community members struggle with why the gunman senselessly killed innocent people, family, colleagues, and former students call the two fallen teachers heroes for protecting their students from the gunman.

The two fourth grade teachers, Irma Garcia,46, and Eva Mireles,44, had been co-teaching together for five years. Garcia taught at the Robb Elementary School for 23 years, while Mireles was in her 17th year.

Irma Garcia

A mother of four, Garcia considered her students as her family and is best remembered by family and students as a sweet, kind, and loving teacher.

Her nephew, John Martinez, wrote on Twitter that his aunt passed away with children in her arms as she tried to protect them. He urged everyone to pray for his aunt, who "died as a hero," adding that she was loved by many and will truly be missed.

She was named "teacher of the year" and had dedicated her entire career to the school where she was shot.

As per ABC, she was one of the 19 San Antonio-area educators named as finalists for Trinity University's prize for excellence in teaching in 2019. She taught third grade, specializing in social studies and ELAR, or English Language Arts and Reading.

She shares a glimpse of her personal life with her students: her love for barbecuing with Joe, her husband of 24 years. Her eldest son was at a military boot camp, while her second son was at the Texas State University. She had two younger daughters as well.

Garcia is now the focus of a GoFundMe campaign spotlighted by Bull Pulte. The latter urged his 3.2 million Twitter followers to donate money for the funeral cost and help the family. Donations have climbed to over $50,000 from nearly 2,000 donors.

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Eva Mireles

The daughter of Mireles, Adalynn Ruiz, posted an emotional tribute on her Facebook, saying that her mom "selflessly jumped in front of her students to save their lives." She also described her mom as the "half that makes me whole" and her twin.

Mireles was certified in special education and bilingual education. She wrote in her school biography that she had a "supportive, fun, and loving family." Her husband, Ruben Ruiz, is a police officer and held a shooting drill on March 22 at Uvalde High School, where the gunman was a student, New York Post reported.

A parent, Audrey Garcia, said that Mireles was a dedicated teacher to her daughter, Gabby, who has Down Syndrome, and remembered that the teacher "never saw Gabby as having less potential than any of the other students."

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