(UVALDE, Texas) –The parents of one of the victims killed in the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, earlier this week told ABC News they turned down an invitation to meet with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Felix and Kimberly Rubio, the parents of Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio, said they have no interest in meeting Abbott, her mother saying, “my Lexi doesn’t even like him.”
“It’s not what Lexi would have wanted,” Kimberly Rubio said.
Kimberly Rubio said their daughter shared her parents’ stance on gun control.
“There’s no reason for just an average citizen to have these types of weapons,” she said. Adding, “What for? What do you need them for? Is it worth my kid? These kids?”
The parents are now calling on legislators to ban AR-15 style weapons, even though Felix Rubio, an off-duty deputy sheriff, thinks his department will go against him for supporting gun restrictions.
The parents, whose two children go to Robb Elementary School, were at the school the morning of the shooting for two awards ceremonies, one at 8 a.m. and another at 10:30 a.m.
When they heard of the shooting, Felix Rubio said he went back to the school while the gunman was still alive and said he saw him get shot.
The alleged shooter was in the classroom for 77 minutes before officers entered and killed him, authorities said. He discharged 315 rounds of ammunition in that time, with hundreds of those rounds fired within the first four minutes of his arrival, according to authorities.
Asked about their response to Texas officials admitting it was the “wrong decision” to not breach the classroom sooner, Kimberly Rubio said she blames herself for not taking her daughter home after the ceremony.
“I have enough ‘what ifs’ on my end, so I am not interested in reading about somebody else’s mistakes, because I already have to live with my own,” Kimberly Rubio said.
“It wasn’t done on purpose, but it’s still a mistake because I made it, otherwise she’d be home with me. I left my baby at that school,” she added.
Lexi Rubio played softball, liked getting ice cream after every meal and wanted to be a lawyer, her parents told ABC News.
“She wanted to make a difference. And I want that for her now, she still can,” Kimberly Rubio said.
“As far as like bringing my kids back to school next year, yes, we’re terrified. We’re terrified because we didn’t think it would happen here,” Kimberly Rubio added.
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