Welcome back everyone.
The testimony on Capitol Hill from
Uvalda victims is so important
because it gives the people directly
impacted by gun violence a chance
to share their stories and we
wanna give them that space as well.
So now we're gonna share the full
testimony of a mother who lost her
child during that mass shooting.
I am Kimberly Rubio. This is
Felix Rubio. For the parents
of Alexandria Anaya, best known as
Lexi Rubio and five other children.
Who all attended Ubaldi public schools
during the 2021-2022 school year?
Melissa, who completed high school this year.
Isaiah, who attends Uvalde High School,
David Morales junior High Jalila,
Florida, Sullivan tree and
our two youngest children,
Julian, ate in Lexington.
Who were Rob Elementary?
On the morning of May 24th,
2022 I drop Lexi and Julian off
at school. A little after 7:00 AM,
my husband and I returned to the
campus at 8:00 AM for Julian's
award ceremony and again at 10:30
AM for Lexi's awards ceremony.
Lexi received the Good
Citizen Award and was also
recognized for receiving
all as at the conclusion
of the ceremony, we took photos with
her before asking her to pose for a
picture with her teacher, Mr Reyes.
That photo, her last photo ever,
was taken at approximately 10:54 AM.
To celebrate, we promised to
get her ice cream. Betty bee.
I told her we loved her and we
would pick her up after school.
I can still see her walking
with us toward the exit.
In the real that keeps
scrolling across my memories,
she turns her head and smiles back
at us to acknowledge my promise.
And then we left.
I left my daughter at that school
and that decision will haunt
me for the rest of my life.
Afterward, Felix dropped me off
at my office, the utility Leader news.
And returned home because it was
a rare day off for him between
normal shifts and security gigs.
He takes to help make ends meet.
I got situated at
my desk and began writing about a
new business in town when the news
office started hearing commotion
on the police scanner. A shooting
on Dia Street near Rob Elementary.
It wasn't long before we received word
from my son's teacher that they were safe,
secure in the classroom.
Once evacuated from campus,
the children were reunited with parents
and guardians at the Civic Center.
My dad picked up Julian from
the Civic Center and took him
to my grandmother's house.
One of our robbed kids was safe.
We focused on finding Lexi.
Bus after bus arrived,
but she wasn't on board.
We heard there were children
at the local hospital,
so we drove over to
provide her description.
She wasn't there.
My dad drove an hour and a
half to San Antonio to check
with the University Hospital.
At this point, some part of me must
have realized that she was gone.
In the midst of chaos,
I had the urge to return to Rob.
We didn't have our car at this point.
Traffic was everywhere.
So I ran. I ran barefoot with
my flimsy sandals in my head.
A random mile to the school.
My husband with me.
We sat outside for a while before it
became clear we wouldn't receive an
answer from law enforcement on scene.
San Antonio firefighter eventually
gave us a ride back to the Civic
Center where the district was asking
all families who had not been reunited
with their children together.
Soon after we received the news
that our daughter was among the
19 students and two teachers that
died as a result of gun violence.
We don't want you to think
of Lexie as just a number.
She was intelligent, compassionate
and athletic. She was quiet shy
unless she had a point to make.
Which new she was right she so often was.
Stood her ground. She was firm,
direct, voice unwavering.
So today we stand for Lexie.
And as her voice we demand action. We
seek a ban on assault rifles
and high capacity magazines.
We understand that for some reason.
To some people.
To people with money to people
who fund political campaigns.
The guns are more important than children.
So at this moment
we ask for progress.
We seek to raise the age
to purchase these weapons
from 18 to 21 years of age.
We seek red flag laws,
stronger background checks.
We also want to repeal gun
manufacturers liability and unity.
You've all seen glimpses
of who Lexie was, but I also
want to tell you a little bit
about who she would have been.
If given the opportunity.
Lexi would have made a
positive change in this world.
She wanted to attend Saint Mary's
University in San Antonio,
TX on a softball scholarship.
She wanted to major in math and
go on to attend law school.
That opportunity was taken from her.
She was taken from us.
I'm a reporter, a student, a mom,
a runner. I've read to my children
since they were in the womb.
My husband is a law enforcement officer.
And Iraq war veteran. He loves
fishing and our babies.
Somewhere out there, there's a
mom listening to our testimony.
Thinking I can't even imagine they're pink.
Not knowing that our reality will
one day be hers unless we act now.
I can't imagine my God bless that family.
God bless all the victims and
you valdy powerful testimony.
They hope America is listening and
that lawmakers will do something.
Yeah, I felt that in my bones,
especially when she said I'm that mother.
I think we've all said it.
Who's saying I can't even imagine their pain?
I think it's so brave of these
parents to testify today,
and I hope that they honor the memory
of these children with some change.