Three more Uvalde shooting victims are laid to rest

Families of Nevaeh Bravo, Maranda Mathis and Eliahna Torres hold funerals

Alanna De Leon writes the name of her friend, Annabelle Rodriguez, who died in the shooting. AFP

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Amerie Jo Garza into Sacred Heart Catholic Church. AP

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Amerie Jo Garza, who died in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. AFP

A memorial in Town Square, Uvalde, Texas, for victims of the Robb Elementary school shooting. Reuters

A woman places a rose on Layla Salazar’s memorial cross, who was one of the victims that died in the shooting. Reuters

Bags with brisket sandwiches and a snack that will be sold at a fundraiser for families of the victims. Reuters

Ashtyn Leigh, 18, hands a man a brisket meal. Reuters

A choir sings in front of the memorial. Reuters

People pray in front of memorial crosses. Reuters

Nineteen children and two adults were killed in the shooting. AFP

People visit a memorial for the victims. AFP

Flowers are left outside the school. AFP

Twenty-one empty chairs are seen outside of a daycare center as a memorial for the victims. AP Photo

Football teammates of Tess Mata, who died in the Texas school shooting, cry as they visit a makeshift memorial outside the Uvalde County Courthouse. AFP

A football teammate of shooting victim Tess Mata cries, supported by her mother. AFP

Texas police faced angry questions over why it took an hour to stop the gunman who murdered 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, as video emerged of desperate parents begging officers to storm the school. AFP

Activists join Senate Democrats outside the Capitol, in Washington, to demand action on gun control legislation after the killings at the Texas elementary school this week. AP

The George R Brown Convention Centre, site of the National Rifle Association annual convention. Days after the deadliest mass school shooting in Texas history, the gun lobbyist group is meeting in Houston, from Friday until Sunday. Reuters

Pastor Carlos Contreras preaches to his congregation as photos of some of the children killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary flash on the screen at Primera Iglesia Bautista, in Uvalde. Reuters

People march after a vigil held to stand with the Uvalde families and demand an end to gun violence in Newtown, Connecticut. AP

A woman holds up a banner at the end of the vigil in Newtown, Connecticut. AP

Newtown was the scene of the 2012 attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School, when 20 pupils and six teachers were killed by a gunman. AP

Candles are lit for each victim as people pray at St Philip's Episcopal Church. EPA

A makeshift memorial in front of Robb Elementary School. AFP

Omahar Padillo with his son Omahar Jr, 12, during a community prayer, in Pharr, Texas, for the shooting victims at Robb Elementary School. AP

Omahar Padillo Jr, 12, and his sister Samantha, 9, with their mother, Silvia Padillo, write messages in support of the victims at Robb Elementary School. AP

A vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. AFP

A young mourner at the vigil in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

Families at the vigil. AFP

A woman holds a photo of Nevaeh Bravo, who was killed in the mass shooting, during a vigil for the victims of the massacre in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco is comforted by Senator Ted Cruz during a vigil at the Uvalde County Fairplex Arena. AP

Diana Karau of Uvalde with a therapy dog named Tritan before a vigil to honour those killed at Robb Elementary. AP

Gun-control advocates Dana Cibulski, left, and Judi Giannini attend a vigil outside the National Rifle Association headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

Uziyah Garcia, 8, was among those killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. AP

Pastor Jaime Cabralez, the uncle of shooting victim 10-year-old Eliahana Cruz Torres, is surrounded in prayer at his church in Uvalde, Texas on Wednesday. Reuters

A woman embraces a child outside Willie de Leon Civic Centre, in Uvalde, where pupils were taken after the school shooting. Bloomberg

Gun-control advocates hold a vigil outside the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia. AFP

A woman and child leave the Civic Centre. Reuters

One girl made other people smile. Another was a creative child who loved mermaids, unicorns and the colour purple. A third loved playing softball and worked on her batting swing in her front yard.

The families of Nevaeh Bravo, Maranda Mathis and Eliahna Torres held funerals for them Thursday, part of more than two weeks of mourning for the 19 children and two teachers who were killed in a May 24 mass shooting inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Nevaeh Bravo

A cousin told The Washington Post that the 10-year-old “put a smile on everyone’s faces” and described her death as “a nightmare that we cannot wake up from”.

She and another 10-year-old who was killed, Jailah Silguero, were friends, and an aunt described them in a Facebook post as “our angels”.

A cousin told USA Today that the two girls were caring, loving and supportive of their siblings. Both families held their funerals at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with Jailah’s scheduled for Friday.

Maranda Mathis

Her family said in an obituary on the funeral home’s website that the 11-year-old “had a huge loving heart” and described her as sweet, smart and “a shy tomboy” who enjoyed spending time outdoors.

She had a great imagination and often expressed love for unicorns and mermaids, especially if they were her favourite colour, purple, the family said.

A photo of Maranda Mathis, 10, who died in the mass shooting, is placed at a makeshift memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

Her mother told The New York Times that while Maranda was shy when she started school, she opened up and made friends as the year continued. She was a creative girl who loved music, running on school field days, swimming in the river and showing her mother rocks she found.

Eliahna Torres

The 10-year-old had “the most beautiful smile that could light up your soul”, her family said in her obituary on the funeral home’s website.

“She was a loving and compassionate person who loved to be silly,” the obituary said. “Eliahna was a master of jests and loved making people laugh.”

Her family said she would spend hours watching TikTok videos, but she’d found a new passion — softball. She was hoping to make an all-star roster.

Her family jokingly called her “enfermerita”, or “little nurse”. Her grandfather told The Times that after he had heart surgery a few years ago, Eliahna accompanied him on his doctor-prescribed walks, helping him to scoop up pecans that fell from the trees shading their neighbourhood.