UVALDE, Texas – Eleven-year-old Miah Cerrillo is struggling to cope with the loss of her teacher and friends following the tragic shooting at a Uvalde elementary school Tuesday.
The fourth-grader survived the massacre but her aunt Blanca Rivera said she witnessed her teacher and friends being shot to death.
Rivera said Miah was forced to go into survival mode.
“My sister-in-law said is that [Miah] saw her friend full of blood, and she got blood and put it on herself,” Rivera said.
Rivera, who lives in the Houston area, said Miah was also injured but has since been released from the hospital.
“My brother said she had bullet fragments in her back,” said Rivera.
Rivera told KPRC that Miah seemed to be OK until she got home Tuesday night.
“Around midnight, my sister-in-law called me and she was just crying like, ‘I think it just hit Miah. I think everything came to reality. We’re home, and she’s just crying and having a panic attack,’” Rivera said.
Rivera plans to visit Miah in the coming weeks.
She said it’s the family’s job to be there for Miah physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
“At this point, we just have to pray and ask God to help us move forward through this situation. I know it’s traumatizing and having an 11-year-old go through this, I can’t imagine what she’s feeling,” said Rivera.
Miah’s sister also attends Robb Elementary. Rivera said the 2nd grader was not hurt and appears to be OK.