POTEET, Texas – The Uvalde elementary school shooting has sent shockwaves across the state and now thousands of communities are in mourning.
A vigil was put on Wednesday night in the city of Poteet in honor and remembrance of the 19 students and two teachers lost in the tragic deadly shooting.
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The vigil was said to have unified everyone in the community, from police to city leaders. Attendees cried, they mourned, sang songs and supported each other throughout the vigil.
Words of encouragement were also given by several ministers and pastors, as the community attempts to grapple with what exactly happened.
A table was seen with names of the victims and a battery-operated candle beside it.
Two Poteet police officers were seen standing, one on each side of the table as if standing guard for the victims.
The gathering lasted roughly 45 minutes and was one of the first of what likely will be many over the coming days and weeks across both the state and the country.
Authorities say an 18-year-old man opened fire and killed 21 people, the victims including two fourth-grade teachers and 19 of their students. The shooter was eventually killed by law enforcement after he barricaded himself in the classroom.
The shooting in Uvalde is considered the deadliest school shooting in the U.S. since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December of 2012. It is the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.
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