The daughter of one of the two teachers shot dead by Salvador Ramos at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, has written an emotional tribute to her mom.
Taking to Twitter, Adalynn Ruiz wrote an incredibly poignant message to her mom, Eva Mireles, who was a fourth-grade teacher at the school. She captioned the message: "My sweet mommy , I will miss you forever."
She went on to write: "Mom, you are a hero. I keep telling myself that this isn't real. I just want to hear your voice."
Elsewhere in the heartfelt tribute, she penned: "You are so known by many now and I'm so happy that people know your name and that beautiful face of yours and they know what a hero looks like.
"I don't know how to do this life without you, but I will take care of dad. I will take care of your dogs and I will forever say your name so you are always remembered, Eva Mireles, 4th grade teacher at Robb Elementary who selflessly jumped in front of her students to save their lives."
Mireles was one of the 21 victims of the shooting at the Robb Elementary school. She was shot dead along with another teacher as well as 19 students.
She had worked in the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District for 17 years, her aunt, Lydia Martinez Delgado, revealed in a statement.
Per Sky News, Delgado said: "I'm furious that these shootings continue. These children are innocent. Rifles should not be easily available to all. This is my hometown, a small community of less than 20,000. I never imagined this would happen to especially loved ones ... All we can do is pray hard for our country, state, schools, and especially the families of all."
According to Robb Elementary School's website, Mireles was a mother and wife who had a penchant for hiking and running.
Tuesday's massacre in the mostly Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a school in the US since 20 children and six adults were shot dead at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.
The 18-year-old gunman entered Robb Elementary School at around 11:32 AM. He was armed with a handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle before "horrifically, incomprehensibly" opening fire, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.
The teen also shot his grandmother and crashed his car near the school prior to entering the building. He was eventually shot dead by law enforcement officers.