It was one of the worst shootings in the history of Texas, and it captured the attention of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. So she showed up to support the community.
At a makeshift memorial outside Uvalde County Courthouse in Uvalde, Texas, on May 26, the Duchess dropped flowers and mourned the dead.
Uvalde is the site of what has been described as the worst school shooting in a decade and one of the worst school shootings in American history.
A disturbed 18-year-old (Salvador Ramos) had stormed Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and shot dead 19 children and two adults, provoking outrage and reigniting debates about gun control.
When Megan showed up at the community, she donated food at a centre hosting a blood drive. Her gifts were received gratefully. She bonded well with those she spoke with, one of whom confessed that they spoke as if they had known each other for years.
Meghan Markle visited the small town not as a Duchess but “in a personal capacity as a mother”, according to a representative.
The school has been shut down as the community tries to process the tragedy and obtain a semblance of healing.
