WEBVTT - Uvalde Rising 0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:04.320 Hey, hey, hey, hey, get us. Latino USA is celebrating 0:00:04.480 --> 0:00:08.200 thirty years today, Ain't that amos? And we would love 0:00:08.440 --> 0:00:10.960 to hear from you, Dear listener. Do you want to 0:00:11.000 --> 0:00:14.640 share with us exactly what Latino USA has meant to you? 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:17.240 Do you have a birthday wish for us? Leave us 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:21.239 a voicemail at six four six five seven to one 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:25.760 one two two four. That's six four six five seven 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:28.680 to one one two two four, and we might feature 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:32.920 your message in an upcoming show, grass Yas. This is 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:37.080 Latino USA, the radio journal of News and Kurture's Latino USA, 0:00:37.240 --> 0:00:41.239 latin Us, Latino USA. I'm Maria Inojosa. We bring you 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:45.160 stories that are underreported but that mattered to you, overlooked 0:00:45.159 --> 0:00:46.920 by the rest of the media, and while the country 0:00:46.960 --> 0:00:48.960 is struggling to deal with these, we listen to the 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:52.760 stories of black and Latinos. Studios United Latino Front, a 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:57.960 cultural renaissance organizing at the forefront of the movement. I'm 0:00:57.960 --> 0:01:00.200 Maria Inojosa. Nose Bayan. 0:01:03.080 --> 0:01:09.800 Puturo Investigates Investia. 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:15.400 Dear listener, The upcoming episode is about the Uvalde massacre. 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:18.240 We have a lot of moments of joy and healing, 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:20.840 but some of it is tough to listen to, so 0:01:20.920 --> 0:01:25.880 please take care. WHOA, Oh my gosh, okay, wait, I 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:29.240 totally want to do that. It's a cold and rainy 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:33.759 and gray day in late January in uval De, Texas. 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:38.240 But this weather is not stopping ten year old Caitlin 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:42.920 Gonzalez right now. She's running around in a black jacket 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:48.560 and crocs. She's zooming across her backyard on a makeshift zipline. 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:52.240 It's attached to two trees on opposite ends of the yard. 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:55.880 And well, I've never done this before. Do I have 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:56.680 to get up on this? 0:01:57.400 --> 0:01:58.400 I can push you up? 0:02:01.080 --> 0:02:06.840 Really? Caitlyn looks like she's flying through her backyard. Her 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:11.520 super long, super dark brown hair is flowing behind her. 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:15.720 She's bursting with energy. And well, she's very insistent that 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:20.000 I have to get on this zipline sick this way? 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:20.519 Yes? 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:21.240 Are you sure? 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:22.160 Am? 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:26.200 I not feeling so good about this? And yeah, I'm nervous, 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:29.000 but I also really want to take this moment to 0:02:29.040 --> 0:02:30.240 connect with Caitlyn. 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:35.359 You're ready? 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:39.320 Oh my god, this is so fun. Oh my god, 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:40.360 this is so fun. Now what do I do? 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:40.520 Now? 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:49.280 What do I do? Her parents, Gladys and Neftali who 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:52.160 goes by neph are staring at us from the porch. 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:55.160 I see them laughing as we struggle to get off 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:59.760 the zipline, and I'm finally back on my feet, and 0:02:59.800 --> 0:03:02.679 then Kaitlyn grabs me by the hand takes me over 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:05.720 to a slab of concrete near their house, kind of 0:03:05.720 --> 0:03:09.400 in their backyard, and we start getting ready to paint. 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:13.640 We're doing abstract painting as a way to heal and 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:17.640 wind down. Can I start, eh? Do you mind if 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:18.440 I use my fingers? 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:19.679 I don't mind at all. 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:22.240 I'm just trying to figure out what I'm gonna do. 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:27.280 Earlier in the day, Caitlyn's parents had told me that 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:30.880 she can sometimes fluctuate between seeming really happy and care 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:36.080 free to experiencing severe post traumatic stress, which can cause 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:41.240 her to shut down and just not engage. About an 0:03:41.240 --> 0:03:45.640 hour before this scene, that is calm and relaxing. I 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:48.280 actually had tried to speak with Caitlyn in her room 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:52.480 with one of our producers, and for me as a journalist, 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:55.240 it was suddenly a very difficult moment with Caitlin. 0:03:55.440 --> 0:04:01.000 I don't know, Oh, okay, okay, are you tired? 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:04.280 No, She's giving me a very hard time with this interview. 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:08.360 Caitlyn had shut down. She didn't want to talk to me, 0:04:08.680 --> 0:04:11.880 she wouldn't answer any of my questions. And then I 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:15.480 felt her desire to push me out of her room, 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:17.600 and I knew that this wasn't just a ten year 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:20.960 old acting out. There was something much deeper happening here, 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:26.680 and I could see it. It was her trauma. A 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:30.160 year ago, on May twenty fourth, Caitlyn was inside her 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:33.960 fourth grade classroom at rob Elementary when an eighteen year 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:38.320 old gunman entered the building. He killed nineteen children and 0:04:38.440 --> 0:04:42.880 two teachers, and he wounded seventeen others with an AR fifteen, 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:46.480 a type of semi automatic rifle that's designed to kill 0:04:46.680 --> 0:04:49.320 a lot of people in a short period of time. 0:04:49.960 --> 0:04:55.400 It's a weapon of war. But Caitlyn wasn't at war. 0:04:55.920 --> 0:04:59.000 She was in her fourth grade classroom across the hall 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:03.560 from the gunman. Many of her friends were killed. One 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:11.320 of them was Jackie Cassarees, Caitlyn's very best friend. It's 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:14.120 still hard for Caitlyn to talk about what happened at 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:18.080 rob Elementary. That's why we're outside and painting out in 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:21.719 the open and not confined in her small bedroom. I'm scared. 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:23.920 What if I get my hands sturdy? We'll just wash 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:26.799 our hands, Okay, how nover is my hands to paint? 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:33.760 Whiz? There's there's always a first starty And now she's 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:38.680 looking more relaxed and even happy. So tell me about BFF. 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:42.599 She is funny. Her lap was funny, she snorted. 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:47.520 Caitlyn and Jackie's friendship goes back to pre k while 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:51.200 she's painting. Kaitlyn now lights up as she talks to 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:54.080 me about her best friend and about how they met 0:05:54.120 --> 0:05:54.960 at the playground. 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:57.800 Oh, she was on a swing and her friends weren't 0:05:57.800 --> 0:06:00.560 there that day, uh huh, and she was paying by herself. 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:04.320 So I asked her share to play with me and 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:06.479 she said yes, and then we kept talking. 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:10.479 Ever since that moment they met, they did everything together 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:20.400 in class, tiktoks, after school, facetimes, weekend hangouts, and summer 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:29.239 theater shows. Since Jackie's death, Caitlyn hasn't been the same. 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:33.200 Her parents, Gladys and Nef, have seen those changes firsthand. 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:35.240 Here's her mom, Gladys. 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:40.479 Since May twenty fourth, everything about our lives have changed. 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:46.680 She went from being pretty independent to one that now 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:50.159 has to share the bed with me because she's so 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:53.520 afraid of the darkness. 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:58.320 Gladys says, Caitlyn's always checking to see if the doors 0:06:58.360 --> 0:06:59.640 and windows are locked. 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:03.000 As soon as our day is coming to an end, 0:07:03.240 --> 0:07:06.560 she starts getting anxious and questioning me, mom, you are 0:07:06.600 --> 0:07:07.359 going to sleep with me? 0:07:07.480 --> 0:07:07.640 Right? 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:13.320 And then there's the nightmares at least three times a week. 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:16.000 I mean, you just feel her whole body shake. It 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:19.000 takes a while for her to try to calm her down. 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:21.920 I'll follow her to the bed and just stay there. 0:07:23.280 --> 0:07:27.640 This has become their new normal. Their family and community 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:32.200 have been scarred by loss and grief and trauma. Gladys 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:34.640 and Nef have been struggling to get mental health treatment 0:07:34.680 --> 0:07:39.000 for Caitlin, something Texas Governor Greg Abbott promised to the 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:42.520 victims and their families. Many families also want to make 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:46.200 changes to gun laws in Texas. They don't want anyone 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:49.040 under the age of twenty one to be allowed to buy, sell, 0:07:49.160 --> 0:07:53.440 or rent any firearm, including the assault style weapon used 0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:58.000 by the shooter at Robin Lamentary. These efforts have been 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:12.840 anything but easy from futuro media and PRX. It's let 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:16.200 you know, USA, I'm Maria no Josa Today a year 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:19.560 after the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, we bring you a 0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:23.640 story in collaboration with Futuro Investigates. Some of the reporting 0:08:23.680 --> 0:08:27.040 for this episode is based on the PBS Frontline documentary 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:34.280 film After Uvalde, Guns, Brief and Texas Politics. For months now, 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:38.720 since the massacre, our team has been following a family 0:08:38.800 --> 0:08:45.959 in their grieving, their healing, and their calls for change. 0:08:48.880 --> 0:08:51.680 As soon as I heard about the massacre in Uvalde, 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:54.920 which is about an hour away from the US Mexico border, 0:08:55.360 --> 0:09:00.680 I became obsessed with the story. I had so many questions, 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:04.600 and since then there have been so many twists and 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:10.280 turns and so many unanswered questions. In the aftermath several 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:14.160 major developments and the investigation into the elementary school massacre 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:16.840 that left nineteen children and two teachers dead. 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:21.160 The most comprehensive report issue to date on Uvalve's mass 0:09:21.200 --> 0:09:24.920 tragedy offers a scathing critique of all agencies linked to 0:09:24.920 --> 0:09:28.760 the response. In the report's words, egregiously poor decision making. 0:09:28.960 --> 0:09:29.800 It's disgusting. 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:31.239 It makes me nauseated. 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:35.199 They knew our kids were right behind that hallway and 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:37.080 that room. They were bleeding to death. 0:09:40.160 --> 0:09:44.040 These inconsistencies have left families of the victims and survivors, 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:47.800 and the community at large angry with law enforcement and 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:51.200 their elected officials. Many of them are calling for gun 0:09:51.200 --> 0:09:57.040 reform and a lasting and effective mental health system. In 0:09:57.080 --> 0:09:59.800 this episode, we're going to learn how survivors of the 0:10:00.200 --> 0:10:03.400 the massacre are navigating their trauma and a state where 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:07.880 guns are ingrained into the culture and where people's mental 0:10:07.880 --> 0:10:10.920 health needs have been historically short changed. 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:20.679 I have to make snackbags for softball team tomorrow twelve. 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:23.440 It's a school night, but you wouldn't necessarily know that 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:25.600 from all of the activity that's going on here at 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:32.599 the Gonzalez house. Gladys Gonzalez is busy making pancakes, Yes, pancakes. 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:37.800 Caitlin's shy seven year old sister Camilla sitting there quietly 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:41.439 with pink barettes in her hair, waiting to be served. 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.640 I visited Caitlin first in January, back when we were 0:10:45.679 --> 0:10:48.920 painting together and playing with the zip line outside. But 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:54.840 now I'm back and it's a special evening. I was mad, 0:10:55.040 --> 0:11:00.199 You mean you're not hungry? Oh, your mother does not play. 0:11:00.440 --> 0:11:04.080 Gladys has chosen to make her very famous pancakes for 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:08.640 Caitlin Camilla, myself and my team. Okay, I'm gonna have 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:11.440 a pancake because i can't take it any longer. But 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:14.800 I'm gonna take one from the middleby I don't know. 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:16.559 Zero. 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:21.360 Caitlyn is so vocal. I can tell that she likes 0:11:21.400 --> 0:11:25.040 to be the boss here at her house. And frankly, 0:11:25.360 --> 0:11:29.120 she's looking really relaxed, and she's being super open with me. 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:31.400 Pancakes for dinner. Do you know the last time I 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:36.439 had pancakes for dinner probably like maybe thirty years ago. 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:40.240 That's why I was so excited. In fact, I'm a 0:11:40.240 --> 0:11:43.679 little taken aback by how talkative she is today, because 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:47.120 remember the first time we met, she shut down in 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:50.520 her bedroom and wouldn't speak with me. But I had 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:54.720 a question. How did the Gonzalez family end up in Uvalde. 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:57.720 So Gladys and Nev sat me down in their living 0:11:57.800 --> 0:12:00.719 room and we decided to talk about that. They tell 0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:04.280 me that they moved here around twenty fifteen, soon after 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:05.280 Caitlyn was born. 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.240 We just were driving one day and so we just said, 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:12.280 you know what, Evadi seems like a nice town. We 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:14.600 just packed up our stuff and moved to you Audi. 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:18.480 Both Gladys and nev grew up in small towns along 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:19.360 the border. 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:21.960 So when we lived in San Antonio, it was a 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:25.079 faster pace of life for us. We had to adjust 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:27.280 to that. We just felt that whether it was we 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:31.439 just liked it and it was a slower pace of life. 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:35.080 And it was a place where Caitlyn started to blossom. 0:12:35.520 --> 0:12:38.559 She was a great student outler. 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:39.920 Caitlyn, did you finish your home? 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:40.400 Kiss? 0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:40.680 Mom? 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:46.200 Of course, So she's always on top of things, always. 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:50.280 Caitlyn's parents have always seen so much potential in her. 0:12:51.000 --> 0:12:53.960 Before the massacre, Caitlyn would talk about what she wanted 0:12:53.960 --> 0:12:55.080 to do when she got older. 0:12:55.520 --> 0:12:58.679 She had talked about being a teacher, and then she 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.600 said that she wanted to move to la and join 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:05.920 like a dance she loves dancing, and then she also 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:07.200 talked about being a doctor. 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:13.360 But those dreams that Caitlyn had changed a year ago, 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:20.320 right after the mass shooting. That day, May twenty fourth 0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:23.360 had started out, in fact as a very happy and 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.600 very special day. In the morning, there was an awards 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:28.480 ceremony at Caitlin's school. 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:31.240 So I dropped her off and she's she said, Mammy, 0:13:31.280 --> 0:13:35.120 you better show up early and don't be late, and 0:13:36.040 --> 0:13:36.800 maybe I should. 0:13:37.080 --> 0:13:37.560 We should. 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:41.800 After awards ceremony, you can just sign me out and 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:45.200 we can go to Starbucks because that's her she loves Starcks. 0:13:45.440 --> 0:13:47.400 And I said, we'll see Caitlyn. 0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:52.439 She received several awards for library. 0:13:52.600 --> 0:13:55.840 It's won money, yeah, and Caitlin Gonzalez. 0:13:57.000 --> 0:14:00.760 Gladys remembers being so proud of her daughter and her friends. 0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:07.040 I remember seeing Jackie and they were hugging and they 0:14:07.040 --> 0:14:10.160 even took pictures. And she came up to me and 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:15.840 told me, hey, miss Gonsales, and she said, I really 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:18.520 love your pancakes and I miss them. And I said, 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:21.440 you know what, on Saturday, I'll make you some and 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:23.760 I'll tell Kylen to call you up so you can come. 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:28.640 She said really yes. I said yeah. And that was that, 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:32.960 you know. They took their last picture and we went 0:14:33.040 --> 0:14:34.640 off our waist. 0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:41.720 Not even an hour later, Gladys and Neph received a 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:43.600 voice message on their cell phones. 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:46.920 Any rob Elementary parents, this phone call is for you. 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:50.320 Please know At this time rob Elementary is under a 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:54.040 lockdown status due to a gun Due to gunshots in 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:57.280 the area, The students of staff are safe in the building. 0:14:57.560 --> 0:15:00.640 The building is secure in a line down. 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:06.720 Scattered when that happened, Nef, a licensed plumber, was working 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:09.800 at a nearby school. Turns out that all the schools 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:13.840 in went on lockdown. Both he and Gladys also received 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:17.280 text messages from the school saying the same thing. The 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:21.280 kids were safe, but Nef couldn't leave work to go 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:24.520 to Rob Elementary and confirm that Caitlin was Okay. 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:28.680 I get this text and I believe it, right, I 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:29.120 believe this. 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:33.560 Just a few minutes later, Gladys got contradicting information. 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:36.200 And then I have a friend who caused me. He 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:39.800 tells me, you need to get to Rob. There's an 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:45.720 active shooter. And I just felt like like someone poured 0:15:45.840 --> 0:15:50.920 cold water on me, and so I just left and 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:53.600 I went speeding to Rob. 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:58.400 Nef was still on lockdown. When Gladys arrived at the school. 0:15:58.840 --> 0:16:02.720 There were cars every everywhere and law enforcement officers barricading 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:06.240 access to the school. She couldn't get to Caitlin. 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:09.480 They wouldn't let us pass. So there's people like crying 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:13.960 and a lot of chaos. And so I was with 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:18.080 another friend. We were both crying and just hoping for 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:20.800 the best. 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:24.600 Both Gladys and Nef have been disappointed with the school 0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:28.240 district's response during and since the shooting. 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:30.960 I live here, I worked for the school district. It's 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:34.360 just that I don't see them like I see them before. 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:35.840 You don't feel protected. 0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:37.160 I don't feel protected at all. 0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:41.480 When Nev speaks, I hear the sadness in his voice 0:16:41.880 --> 0:16:46.440 now knowing that the children were not in fact safe. 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:49.600 And that's what's so disappointing that pretty much that's when 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:52.520 the lives start and all the failures. 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:55.400 Several nine to one one calls came from students and 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:59.560 staff inside the school that afternoon. They showed what was 0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:03.800 nally going on. The Texas Tribune obtained a copy of 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:04.480 those nine one. 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:11.720 One calls about a county number one. 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:14.440 Hello Mom, you hear me? 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:16.879 Sorry, there's a want to get by. 0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:25.440 Officers arrived to the school almost immediately and initially approached 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:30.160 the classroom cautiously, but when the shooter fired, they realized 0:17:30.160 --> 0:17:33.680 the gunman had an ar and then they retreated. They 0:17:33.720 --> 0:17:41.080 didn't breach the classroom for seventy seven minutes. We accessed 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:44.240 the footage of the responders during those seventy seven minutes 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:47.880 of waiting, first obtained by the Texas Tribune as part 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:52.880 of the reporting for the PBS Frontline documentary film After Valde, Guns, 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:56.399 Grief and Texas Politics. We're going to hear the moment 0:17:56.440 --> 0:18:00.359 when law enforcement learns about the AR fifteen, and at 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:04.920 that moment we see them stop because the AR fifteen 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:08.800 is again a weapon of war, so the bullets are 0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:19.560 capable of cutting through police officers standard bulletproof vests. 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:27.160 These are you know what kind young you know they 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:28.879 are here, they have a bottle y cytilizing. 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:32.359 Really, what's the safest way to do is I'm not 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:33.360 trying to get clapped out. 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:41.280 Gladys is grateful that her daughter was eventually rescued by officers, 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:45.879 but she's also been actively demanding more accountability from the 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:50.359 officers who waited seventy seven minutes to breach the classroom 0:18:50.520 --> 0:18:51.480 where the shooter was. 0:18:52.200 --> 0:18:57.720 But to those that just stood back did nothing, I 0:18:57.760 --> 0:19:02.600 have lost our respect. Can't fathom the thought of just 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:05.320 standing by doing nothing. 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:13.920 When we come back, how Caitlin is calling out those 0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:17.919 leaders in her own way. And later we meet the 0:19:17.960 --> 0:19:20.680 descendants of a family who survived a massacre in Texas 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:23.600 more than one hundred years ago. We learned about their 0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:28.800 connection to Uvalde and their long journey towards healing. Stay 0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:30.320 with us nothing by Yes. 0:19:39.520 --> 0:19:43.280 My name is DeCarlo calling from Washington, DC, And I 0:19:43.320 --> 0:19:46.399 remember exactly where I was when I first listened to 0:19:46.560 --> 0:19:50.120 Latino USA. It was twenty fifteen and I was halfway 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:54.040 through my Peace Corps service in the Philippines, and listening 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:58.760 to Latino USA really made me feel seen and connected 0:19:58.880 --> 0:20:02.120 to my Latin during a time in my life when 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:06.080 I was feeling very disconnected, and from that day I 0:20:06.119 --> 0:20:08.120 was hooked. 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:16.440 Before the break, we heard how Caitlyn is doing since 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:19.879 the massacre. She has good days and bad days, and 0:20:19.960 --> 0:20:22.960 her parents are navigating how to best heal from this 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:26.760 mass shooting. Part of that healing includes looking for the 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:30.639 right therapy treatment. But it's been harder than they anticipated. 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:36.320 All right, let's get back to the story. Caitlyn started 0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:41.560 speaking out soon after surviving the massacre, with a focus 0:20:41.840 --> 0:20:42.680 on gun reform. 0:20:43.119 --> 0:20:47.399 A school is a place where a teacher and charloud 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:49.240 should feel safe, like. 0:20:49.240 --> 0:20:52.400 Caitlin's first rally was in July of twenty twenty two, 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:55.480 when she and people from the community marched from rob 0:20:55.560 --> 0:20:57.560 Elementary to the town square. 0:20:58.320 --> 0:21:03.000 It went from just when invitation from Jacqueline's mom Hey, Caitlyn, 0:21:03.040 --> 0:21:06.000 do you think you can speak at the at the rally, 0:21:06.119 --> 0:21:07.560 and so she said yeah, sure. 0:21:08.280 --> 0:21:12.480 Shortly after, Caitlyn took on Uvaldi Police Chief Pete Aredondo 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:13.879 at a school board meeting. 0:21:14.560 --> 0:21:16.560 Last we have a miss Caitlin. 0:21:16.600 --> 0:21:22.159 Gonzalez is one of the few officers who faced consequences 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.280 after the delayed response at rob Elementary. He's the man 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:29.240 many believed was in charge that day at the school, 0:21:29.400 --> 0:21:34.000 though Aredondo said he never considered himself the incident commander. 0:21:34.320 --> 0:21:37.080 I have messages for p Rnando and all the law 0:21:37.160 --> 0:21:40.439 enforcements that were there that date. Hurning your badge and 0:21:40.640 --> 0:21:44.680 stepped down. You don't deserve to wear one. 0:21:46.359 --> 0:21:50.199 At that school board meeting, Aredondo was fired. Gladys and 0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:53.360 f are in awe of their daughter's fearlessness. 0:21:53.600 --> 0:21:55.360 I do you know she was going to say that, 0:21:55.640 --> 0:22:00.000 you know, and we were all taken by surprise, the strength. 0:22:01.520 --> 0:22:03.800 What's going on for you? Tell me what you're feeling. 0:22:05.359 --> 0:22:10.720 Just you know that I'm proud that is that she's 0:22:10.920 --> 0:22:18.160 proud of her. You know that despite her the sadness, 0:22:19.080 --> 0:22:25.720 she's shown resiliency and she's still trying to shine light 0:22:26.359 --> 0:22:28.560 in the darkness. 0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:31.080 Since that day at the school board meeting. Caitlyn has 0:22:31.119 --> 0:22:35.160 spoken at about ten rallies and glad to say they've 0:22:35.200 --> 0:22:39.320 actually received some pushback. People have accused them of coaching 0:22:39.560 --> 0:22:40.480 their daughter. 0:22:40.920 --> 0:22:44.600 And that's just so far from the truth. With her speeches, 0:22:44.640 --> 0:22:47.199 she does them all. We don't even we've tried to 0:22:47.280 --> 0:22:51.879 prove freedom, she won't let us. It's very disrespectful for me. 0:22:52.080 --> 0:22:56.880 I take it so offensive because I'm thinking, here's Kaylen. 0:22:57.520 --> 0:23:01.240 She believes in something, and she's willing to go out 0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:04.200 there and talk to people and try to convince people 0:23:04.240 --> 0:23:08.199 about the way she feels. How many people have the 0:23:08.280 --> 0:23:10.440 guts to do that, to get up in a podium 0:23:10.480 --> 0:23:16.280 and talk, and at such a young age. 0:23:16.520 --> 0:23:20.239 I can't help but wonder, though, if Caitlin's advocacy is 0:23:20.440 --> 0:23:24.680 also rooted in a very particular response to her trauma. 0:23:25.119 --> 0:23:28.719 She's a different person the day that I dropped her 0:23:28.760 --> 0:23:31.600 off on May twenty fourth, and it's something that we're 0:23:31.640 --> 0:23:35.400 going to have to deal with as a family together. 0:23:36.320 --> 0:23:39.840 But at least we have her because other families aren't 0:23:39.840 --> 0:23:42.920 as fortunate to be in the situation. 0:23:48.200 --> 0:23:52.440 Soon after the mass shooting, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced 0:23:52.480 --> 0:23:57.119 the opening of the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center, a temporary 0:23:57.280 --> 0:24:02.000 mental health facility on the outskirts of Valde. Like many 0:24:02.000 --> 0:24:06.760 Republicans in the state, Abbott blamed the massacre on mental health. 0:24:07.840 --> 0:24:13.560 I asked the sheriff and others and got the same 0:24:13.640 --> 0:24:16.399 answer from the sheriff as well as from the mayor 0:24:16.880 --> 0:24:21.000 of Evality. The question was what is the problem here? 0:24:21.280 --> 0:24:25.160 They said, we have a problem with mental health illness 0:24:25.680 --> 0:24:27.560 in this community. 0:24:27.600 --> 0:24:31.560 With just one psychiatrist in the town and no dedicated 0:24:31.680 --> 0:24:36.199 mental health hospital or residential treatment center, Uvalde is a 0:24:36.240 --> 0:24:40.160 mental health desert like many small towns in the US. 0:24:40.920 --> 0:24:44.239 When did you realize that Caitlin needed therapy, that it 0:24:44.320 --> 0:24:46.400 was not just going to be enough to hug her 0:24:46.720 --> 0:24:48.120 And what did you decide to do then? 0:24:48.840 --> 0:24:51.960 I'd say that same night, I knew she was going 0:24:52.000 --> 0:24:55.280 to need help. And because I have experienced in mental 0:24:55.280 --> 0:24:58.440 health I used to be a mental health caseworker children's caseworker, 0:24:59.080 --> 0:25:01.720 I knew she was without a doubt going to need help. 0:25:02.119 --> 0:25:06.720 In Uvalde, one in four residents live in poverty, which 0:25:06.840 --> 0:25:10.520 is more than the national average. Over the last year, 0:25:10.640 --> 0:25:14.199 Futuru Investigates has spoken in Uvalde with more than a 0:25:14.240 --> 0:25:18.040 dozen people about the tragedy, the aftermath, and their grieving. 0:25:18.400 --> 0:25:22.520 They said that it's difficult to find an affordable therapist 0:25:22.640 --> 0:25:27.200 in town. The Resiliency Center was supposed to provide free, 0:25:27.520 --> 0:25:33.040 ongoing mental health resources like crisis counseling and behavioral health 0:25:33.080 --> 0:25:36.520 care for the community. Soon after that, Gladys and her 0:25:36.600 --> 0:25:40.679 family realized the center wasn't equipped to meet the mental 0:25:40.720 --> 0:25:44.240 health care needs of Caitlin and her younger sister, who's 0:25:44.320 --> 0:25:51.359 also been scarred by the massacre. One morning, I find 0:25:51.400 --> 0:25:55.760 myself driving around the edge of town. I wanted to 0:25:55.800 --> 0:26:01.720