Police Let Down Uvalde Again as Memorial Is Vandalized

On May 24, 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and murdered 19 children and two teachers. Despite more than 370 officers responding to the scene, it took them over 70 minutes to confront and stop the shooter. Their failure was recorded, investigated, and widely condemned, but for the families left behind, the damage was permanent.

Robb Elementary has remained closed ever since, but a memorial of white crosses was placed outside the school to honor the lives taken. Earlier this month, that memorial was vandalized.

According to local authorities, some of the crosses were knocked over, others turned around, and debris like broken glass and pebbles were found around the site. The damage was discovered early in the morning by a grieving mother who visits the memorial daily to pray for her daughter, one of the 21 victims. She said she found the crosses scattered and had to alert a DPS trooper herself, who she says appeared to have been reclined in his patrol vehicle when she arrived.

No one has yet been arrested for the vandalism, and so far, police have not identified any suspects. It’s unclear whether surveillance footage even exists, despite claims that the memorial was under constant watch.

So who would desecrate a memorial like this? It could be followers of the Uvalde shooter himself. As disturbing as it is, the shooter has developed a small but vocal online fanbase. School shooting fans have been known to travel to sites of previous massacres, especially to Columbine High School, where some treat the location like a shrine. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that someone obsessed with the Uvalde killer made the pilgrimage for a thrill or misguided tribute.

It could also be a local act. Some teenage edgelords looking for attention or trying to impress friends with a dare. Either way, it’s not just the act that’s appalling, it’s the total breakdown in protecting what should have been one of the most guarded spots in town.

This wasn’t just a random place. It’s sacred ground to many. And yet, in a scene that echoes the original tragedy, the authorities were once again asleep, possibly literally. The officer on duty that night, who was supposedly watching over the memorial, was reportedly reclined in his car when a parent had to wake him up to report the damage.

Once again, Uvalde was let down by those who were supposed to protect it. First, during the massacre. Now, again, while families try to grieve.

(Sources)