“We are in mourning”: As parents awaited news, Uvalde residents processed their shock and grief

UVALDE — Dozens of families in this South Texas town, roiled by the deadliest school shooting in modern Texas history, waited for hours on the lawn of a civic center Tuesday for unthinkable news that took hours to deliver.

The building served as the reunification center for families of students evacuated from Robb Elementary School after a shooter opened fire, killing at least 19 children and two adults.

As the sun fell Tuesday, parents huddled close to their children on the lawn of the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center, sitting on the stone edging or in the grass, waiting to be called by officials. Some arrived as early as 3 p.m. and waited well past 10 p.m. to learn whether their child had died.

Young children — the siblings and cousins of those who were evacuated — played quietly under the trees for much of the afternoon that waned into the late night. Adults cried or simply sat in silence, embracing each other.