He doesn’t understand the senseless acts that left his peers dead, especially in Uvalde. Marcos Guzman, 12, who graduated from Robb Elementary last year, said he knew some of the kids and teachers who were killed last week. Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune Seeking ways to heal Flowers and balloons surround crosses at Robb Elementary in Uvalde. Zayin Zuniga visits Eliahna Amyah Garcia’s memorial, left, on June 1. “I went to the counseling because I didn’t know what to really say to him after something like this,” she said. When she first spoke to Zayin about his feelings after what happened last week, he burst into tears.
Zuniga said her son will need a professional therapist to talk to about the tragedy. Zayin and his family were at the Uvalde County Fairplex on Wednesday, an event center and indoor arena where organizations are offering counseling and mental health services to families and students affected by the shooting. Research and experts also found that if there aren’t enough mental health resources for the survivors, witnesses and community, the trauma can impact education and lead to absences, declining grades and students choosing not to go to college. Research and studies suggest that child survivors will feel anxious after shootings, but talking to them about it and making them feel safe is needed to help them heal. Zayin doesn’t feel safe going back to Robb and isn’t ready to return to school in general. The Zuniga family didn’t suffer any injuries or deaths that day, but invisible wounds linger in the form of trauma. He can’t hear loud noises without thinking it’s the sound of another gunman trying to hurt people, said his mother, Mariah Zuniga. Zayin often retreats to hug his mom as he recalls the scene. Zayin and other kids were able to escape through a window. He recalls glass shattering and seeing bullet casings on the classroom floor as he and other students hid behind his teacher’s desk. Zayin was in Room 111 during the shooting, one of the two conjoined classrooms where the gunman holed up.
He begged his mom to get him a ring that he could give her. After a school dance at Robb, Zayin decided he wanted to give Ellie a gift. Zayin and his mom approached one of the 21 crosses that were set on the school’s lawn to honor each of the victims killed last week: the one for Eliahna Amyah Garcia, 9, whom Zayin called Ellie.
UVALDE - Eight days after surviving the shooting at Robb Elementary, 9-year-old Zayin Zuniga returned to the school grounds to visit the memorial for his slain classmates.