Memorial remembering 21 killed at Texas school vandalized, cops say

Kate Linderman, The Charlotte Observer on May 2, 2025

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White crosses displaying the names of the 19 children and two teachers killed when a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School were “lovingly placed” near the school by family and community members.

Then, on May 1, the memorial remembering one of Uvalde’s darkest days was vandalized, local police said.

“This act is not only senseless, it is cruel, and it has inflicted more pain on families who have already endured unimaginable loss,” Uvalde Police Chief Homer Delgado said in a Facebook post.

Uvalde’s former mayor and state Rep. Don McLaughlin is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible for the damage to the memorial.

“Well, this morning, like every other morning, I stop at Robb before I go to work, and I just park there and say a little prayer... This morning, I went in at six... I saw that the crosses... some had fallen, others were turned... broken glass, pebbles... I couldn’t believe it,” Sandra Cruz, the mother of one of the victims, told KABB.

Police say they hope to identify the person responsible for the vandalism and prosecute them. Cameras were installed at the temporary memorial site on the school’s campus on May 2, according to police.

“This act has caused profound sorrow and grief for us all in our community as we continue to mourn the loss of our cherished angels,” Uvalde’s school district said in a Facebook post.

A former Robb Elementary student entered the school with an AR-15 style rifle on May 24, 2022, and shot and killed 19 students and two teachers and injured 17 people.

Anyone with information about the vandalism of the memorial is asked to contact the Uvalde Police Department’s Investigations Division at (830) 278-9147.

Uvalde is about an 85-mile drive southwest from San Antonio.

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