World enews: Uvalde victim’s sister begs Texas lawmakers for gun reform: ‘Do something’

The teenage sister of a nine-year-old girl killed in the mass shooting in Uvalde has begged Texas lawmakers to pass gun control laws as she broke down in tears revealing she is now “terrified” to return to school for her final year.

Jazmin Cazares gave heartbreaking testimony before the Texas Legislature on Thursday morning where she described losing both her younger sister Jacklyn and her cousin Annabell Rodriguez in the 24 May massacre at Robb Elementary School.

Wearing a shirt with her little sister’s photo on, she said she was there to honour those killed in the attack and challenged lawmakers that “you can honour them too by passing gun safety legislation”.

“I’m here begging for you guys to do something and to change something because the people who were supposed to keep her safe at school didn’t,” she said.

“They failed.”

She called for Texas lawmakers to pass legislation on background checks in order to “proetct innocent communities like mine from being endangered by people who are unstable and signal that they are threats”.

“There should be absolutely no reason this murderer should have been able to have access to a firearm,” she said.

“Days after turning 18, he bought an AR-15, hundreds of rounds of ammunition.”

Through her grief, the teenager spoke of being “terrified for her life” as she decides whether to return to school to complete her studies in the next academic year.

“Am I going to survive?” she asked.

When asked about active shooter drills, Ms Cazares said that her school often went into lockdowns so “no one ever usually took it seriously – until that day”.

“We were in lockdown so the only information we were getting was from the media,” she said.

“It was terrifying… and having to go back to school next year… I don’t know.

“It’s a really big decision and going to school shouldn’t have to be a big decision but it is. I’m terrified for my life to go back.

“I have senior year and that’s it. Am I going to survive it?” she asked.

Jacklyn – nicknamed “Jackie” – was one of 19 young students aged between nine and 11 years old who were killed alongside two teachers in the worst school shooting in America since Sandy Hook in 2012.

Ms Cazares choked up with emotion as she paid tribute to her little sister as “an exact copy of me” who “loved singing and dancing and acting”.

Instead of being home together enjoying the summer break as they should be, she had to be there today to call on lawmakers to prevent other families from being torn apart by gun violence.

“I’m not supposed to be here right now. I’m supposed to be at home watching a movie with my sister. It’s summer,” she said.

Jackie had wanted to go to Paris for her graduation, Ms Cazares told the lawmakers. She now plans to go in her sister’s honour when she graduates from school next year.