Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas
Julie Hambleton
Julie Hambleton
June 2, 2022 ·  5 min read

11-year-old smeared friend’s blood on herself in order to survive massacre

Yet another school shooting has taken the lives of elementary school kids and their teachers in the United States. This time, the shooting took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The latest survival story to come out of the tragic massacre is of an 11-year-old girl who smeared her classmate’s blood on her and played dead in order to be spared.

Girl Smears Classmate’s Blood on Her Body and Plays Dead In Order To Survive Texas Elementary School Shooting

Late last month, tragedy struck when a gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Not long after the man entered the school, he found his way to some classrooms and opened fire on the teachers and students. He killed 19 young children and two of their teachers. One of the surviving students of the first class where he opened fire has come forward about her experience. (1)

11-year-old Miah Cerrillo had almost stayed home from school that day with an earache. Instead of taking her to school, her mother took her to the doctor. Afterward, she took her daughter to Starbucks for a treat. Miah’s mother offered to let her skip school for the rest of the day because it was one of the last before summer vacation. Miah, however, wanted to go to school to spend time with her friends before summer started. Her mother dropped her off one hour before the gunman arrived.

11 year old Miah Cerrillo. Image via GoFundMe

Her Harrowing Account of The Shooting

Miah says her class had finished their work and were watching Disney’s Lilo and Stitch when they were notified that there was a shooter in the building. Someone had apparently seen the man with a gun jump the fence and notified the principal. One of her two teachers in the room got up to go lock the door. The shooter had already arrived, however, and shot out the door’s window.

Her teacher backed into the classroom with the gunman in pursuit. The man made eye contact with one of the teachers, said “goodnight”, and shot her. From there, he opened fire. He shot her other teacher and many of Miah’s friends. The little girl says that she could see bullets flying by her.

After shooting students in her class, the shooter then went through a door that joined their classroom with another and began shooting. Then the bullets and screams stopped and the shooter began playing what Miah describes as sad music. Miah and a friend of hers managed to get a hold of their dead teacher’s phone and call 911 for help. Afraid that the shooter would return, she then dipped her hands in the blood of her classmates, smeared it on herself, and played dead. 

Finally, The Police Arrived

Miah says that it seemed like hours before the police arrived. She lay there on the ground playing dead with a few of her surviving classmates with bullet fragments in her back. Miah then began to cry while accounting the story to CNN. She said that she thought the police hadn’t arrived, and then heard talk that they were waiting outside the school. The little girl was upset and confused as to why they didn’t just come inside and rescue them.

Miah’s mother explained that the little girl is now traumatized and can’t sleep. The family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for Miah’s therapy. Sudden sounds and noises scare her and can completely set her off. She has had several panic attacks since the shooting.

Other Survival Stories

Other children and parents have come forward with their accounts of what happened that day. Seventeen children went to the hospital with injuries, many of who have required and still require many procedures. Teachers Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles are being heralded by the public as heroes for attempting to shield their students from the gunfire, being killed in the process.

Parents of students who hid under their desks while the shooting occurred spoke of how traumatized their children are. Many are afraid to be alone or go places without their parents. Sleeping or even watching a movie alone in the other room is hard for them.

“She can’t sleep by herself. She’s scared to take a shower by herself. She’s scared to even watch a movie in the living room by herself. I put her to bed last night and she told me she felt like somebody was looking at her — she’s just really shaken up by it.” said Amber Gonzales, who’s eight-year-old daughter was hiding in another classroom during the incident. (2)

One fourth-grade survivor said that when the man entered their classroom, he said “It’s time to die” before opening fire on the students. Another unidentified fourth-grade student in one of the classrooms where the gunman opened fire said he and his friends hid beneath a table with a tablecloth. From there, they listened in fear as their teachers and classmates were shot and killed.

Gun Violence Needs To Stop

Many are now speaking out, yet again, about the gun problem in America. Citizens across the country are asking how many more children need to die before we make changes to gun laws. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of all the victims, as well as to the injured and traumatized students whose lives will never be the same. May the necessary changes be made to never allow this to happen again.

Keep Reading: Texas Shooter Sent Messages to L.A. Girl Before Onslaught, ‘Got a Secret’

Sources

  1. She smeared blood on herself and played dead: 11-year-old reveals chilling details of the massacre.” CNN. Nora NeusMelissa Alonso and Claire Colbert. May 27, 2022.
  2. They smeared blood on themselves, hid and watched their teachers get shot. These are the survivors’ stories.” LA Times. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Kevin Rector, Hayley Smith, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde. May 26, 2022.