fbpx
Vertiv Introduces New Single-Phase Uninterruptible Power Supply for Distributed Information Technology (IT) Networks and Edge Computing Applications in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)Read more Students from JA Zimbabwe Win 2023 De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship AwardRead more Top International Prospects to Travel to Salt Lake City for Seventh Annual Basketball Without Borders Global CampRead more Rise of the Robots as Saudi Arabia Underscores Global Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Aspirations with DeepFest Debut at LEAP23Read more Somalia: ‘I sold the last three goats, they were likely to die’Read more Merck Foundation and African First Ladies marking World Cancer Day 2023 through 110 scholarships of Oncology Fellowships in 25 countriesRead more Supporting women leaders and aspirants to unleash their potentialRead more Fake medicines kill almost 500,000 sub-Saharan Africans a year: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reportRead more Climate crisis and migration: Greta Thunberg supports International Organization for Migration (IOM) over ‘life and death’ issueRead more United Nations (UN) Convenes Lake Chad Countries, Amid Growing Regional CrisisRead more

‘I don’t want it to happen again’: 11-year-old survivor of Texas massacre

show caption
TEXAS - UVALDE - MAY 30: A memorial for the 19 children and two adults killed on May 24th during a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School is seen on May 30, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. ( Yasin Öztürk - Anadolu Agency )
Print Friendly and PDF

Jun 09, 2022 - 09:02 AM

HOUSTON, Texas (AA) – A fourth-grader who survived the Uvalde, Texas mass shooting last month testified before a US House of Representatives gun violence panel Wednesday.

“I don’t want it to happen again,” said Miah Cerrillo, 11, who smeared a classmate’s blood on her face and hands and played dead during the Robb Elementary School massacre.

The 18-year-old shooter killed 19 students and two teachers.

“He shot my friend that was next to me, and I thought he was going to come back to the room, so I grabbed a little blood and put it all over me,” Cerrillo recalled during a pre-recorded video played before the committee.

“I got my teacher’s phone and called 911,” she said. “I told her that we need help, and to send the police in our classroom.”

Cerrillo said she does not feel safe at school and wants “to have security,” a sentiment also expressed by Dr. Roy Guerrero, a pediatrician who treated the victims of the Uvalde shooting.

“Two children, whose bodies had been pulverized by bullets fired at them, decapitated, whose flesh had been ripped apart,” Guerrero explained in gruesome detail. “That the only clue as to their identities were the blood-spattered cartoon clothes still clinging to them, clinging for life and finding none.”

Survivors of the Buffalo, New York mass shooting on May 14, in which an 18-year-old murdered 10 people at a supermarket, also testified.

“To the lawmakers who feel that we do not need stricter gun laws, let me paint a picture for you,” said Zeneta Everhart, whose son survived the Buffalo massacre. “My son Zaire has a hole in the right side of his neck, two on his back and another on his left leg, caused by an exploding bullet from an AR-15,” she said. “As I clean his wounds, I can feel pieces of that bullet in his back. Shrapnel will be left inside of his body for the rest of his life. Now, I want you to picture that exact scenario for one of your children. This should not be your story – or mine.”

“Making sure our children are safe from guns, that’s the job of our politicians and leaders,” Guerrero emphasized. “In this case, you are the doctors and our country is the patient.”

“My oath as a doctor means that I signed up to save lives,” he said. “I do my job … I am here to plead, to beg, to please, please do yours.”

MAORANDCITIES.COM uses both Facebook and Disqus comment systems to make it easier for you to contribute. We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. All comments should be relevant to the topic. By posting, you agree to our Privacy Policy. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, name-calling, foul language or other inappropriate behavior. Please keep your comments relevant and respectful. By leaving the ‘Post to Facebook’ box selected – when using Facebook comment system – your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the Facebook comment box to report spam or abuse. You can also email us.