By The 830 Times Staff
While tragedy unfolded 70 miles from Del Rio’s city limits, the threat and fear hit close to home for many current and former Del Rioans.
Uvalde, a small city on U.S. Highway 90 about 70 miles east of Del Rio, was the scene Tuesday of one of the worst school shootings in the state’s history, when a reported 14 students and one teacher were shot to death in Robb Elementary School, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a press conference.
According to a story published by the Texas Tribune just before 7 p.m., the death toll from the shootings has risen to 18 children and three adults.
Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez has dispatched 10 sheriff’s office members to assist local law enforcement in Uvalde who are responding to a shooting incident in an elementary school there.
“We sent seven deputies to help them with crowd control, and we also sent a team of crime victim advocates, so we have a total of 10 personnel over there,” Martinez told the 830 Times in a telephone interview this afternoon.
The sheriff said the deputies and crime victim advocates would stay on-site until they are no longer needed. He said the crime victim advocates left Del Rio to make the hour-long trip to Uvalde about 4 p.m., and he said the deputies were en route to Uvalde about 1 p.m.
“First of all, my condolences to the residents of Uvalde County. This is a terrible situation that they’re going through,” Martinez said.
The sheriff said he is aware that a number of Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were also moved to Uvalde to assist with the situation.
“We’re continuing to monitor this situation, and if (Uvalde County) Sheriff (Ruben) Nolasco needs additional help, we’ll send additional help,” Martinez said.
The show of support by the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office echoes the close connection Del Rio has with Uvalde.
Several Del Rioans work in Uvalde or do regular business in the small community. Many of them reached out through social media to help inform friends and family about their status in the wake of what took place Tuesday morning and continued to be updated throughout the day.
Nelly Briones, a former Miss Del Rio who has worked in Uvalde for several years alongside her husband LeRoy at Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home, posted that she and her husband as well as their employees were safe. The funeral home, which LeRoy is the managing director of, sets just a few yards from Robb Elementary School.
Mabel Martinez Neutze, a 1994 graduate of Del Rio High School and who now resides in Uvalde along with her husband James, also posted that she and her family was safe, but asked for prayers the community. “Thank you to those that have reached out to us to check on us and our love (sic) ones. Our kids and grandchildren are safe and ok. Still don’t know about our employees and their family members. Please keep our community in your prayers. We are heartbroken,” Neutze wrote on Facebook.
Locally, the Del Rio Little League held a moment of silence prior to each of the league’s games Tuesday evening. Coaches and players from the teams involved met at the pitcher’s mound or circle and reflected on the events of the day. For many years, Del Rio and Uvalde’s Little League teams played against each other in all-star tournaments.
“What happened today is a tragedy and the league extends its sincere condolences to the families affected,” representatives of Del Rio Little League posted on its official Facebook page.
At least one member of the San Felipe Del Rio CISD Board of Trustees publicly expressed their concerns for Del Rio’s schools and their safety going forward. Josh Overfelt, who is the Place 2 representative on the board, posted his personal feelings towards the Uvalde tragedy and asked for support from his fellow board members and school district administrators.
“I am heartbroken and distraught by what has happened in Uvalde CISD. I call on my fellow board members and administration to immediately ask for a review of our security policies for incidents like this along with our partner law enforcement groups. No parent should have to think if they will see their child at the end of the day after they drop them at school. I as a parent should not have to fear or worry about my two childrens safety during the day at school. Am I upset? Yes. Am I emotional? Yes. Am I concerned for my community and its schools? Yes. Enough is enough,” Overfelt wrote.
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The 830 Times’ Karen Gleason and Brian Argabright contributed to this story. Contact them at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com or drnhsports@gmail.com, respectively.
