UVALDE, Texas — The uncle of a Robb Elementary shooting victim is set to be sworn in as one of the newest members elected to the Uvalde CISD school board.
Ever since tragedy struck on May 24, 2022, Jesse Rizo has fought for accountability alongside community members and families impacted by the shooting.
Rizo’s niece, Jacklyn "Jackie" Cazares, was one of 19 children killed at Robb Elementary. Two teachers also lost their lives during the rampage.
Law enforcement took down the assailant more than an hour after the shooting began, which led to immense scrutiny of local, state and federal officials due to the massively delayed response.
Numerous investigations, including one led by the U.S. Department of Justice, deemed law enforcement’s actions a failure across the board.
Rizo hopes his time on the school board proves transformational for the students, staff and community overall.
“The page is turning,” he said. “The people are watching, they’re listening, and they want to heal. It’s going to be a lot. It's going to take a lot of work.”
Rizo joins fellow newcomer Jaclyn Gonzales on the Uvalde CISD Board of Trustees. Gonzales has helped families affected by the Robb Elementary shooting by providing grief counseling services.
“The ultimate goal is the education of the children," Rizo said. "It is to reunite the school, it is to reunite the community and if we don’t lose focus then I think we can accomplish that."
Berlinda Arreola, stepgrandmother of Robb victim Amerie Jo Garza, admits it feels like their voices are being heard with Rizo securing a seat on the school board. At the same time, she’s aiming to keep Rizo and Gonzales accountable, in addition to the entire school board.
“We believe that they can help the school board understand where we are coming from,” Arreola said. “We’ve been looking for answers for almost two years now and we can’t seem to get a reaction from the school board whatsoever. We’re not going to take it easy on Jesse or Jackie or any of them either, they’re a part of that school board now and we do expect results.”