Three years after the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, a new searing documentary revisits the tragic event, telling the inspiring story of a courageous mother who risked everything to rescue her two children during the massacre.
“Uvalde Mom” masterfully centers on Angeli Rose Gomez, a petite woman who went viral when she ran onto the campus to save her kids. Capturing headlines worldwide with her bravery, she became a hero mom and a vocal critic of the police, who turned out to have waited too long to go after the shooter while children were being killed. At the end of the ordeal, 19 students, ages 9 through 11, and two teachers were fatally shot, while 17 others were injured. Producers include Oscar-nominated Ina Fichman.
Going to Fests
“Uvalde Mom” held its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference earlier this year and is now traveling the film festival circuit. Most recently, the documentary played at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival in Hollywood. The documentary is directed by LA-based Anayansi Prado, whose films have aired nationally on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and who has been an adjunct professor at California State University, Northridge, and Chapman University, as well as a visiting professor at University of California, LA.
The documentary opens with a barrage of news archive footage about a shooting in progress at an elementary school in Uvalde, a small city of about 15,000 in South Texas, about 80 miles west of San Antonio. While all massacres are tragic, and we have too many of them in the United States, there’s something extremely heartbreaking about watching the news about school kids once again getting killed with semi-automatic weapons meant mainly for hunting and target practice – no matter how old the news videos are.
In Her Own Words
The documentary does not waste time introducing its focus. Among the videos of the chaos on May 24, 2022, there is one showing Gomez running out of the school with her two children. The film then allows the mother to tell her story in her own words.
The filming of the documentary started two months after the school massacre and followed Gomez for more than a year.
In the film, Gomez recounted how she dropped off her sons at school and then headed to work in the fields near Uvalde. About 20 minutes later, she gets a call from her mom saying something has happened at Robb Elementary. She recalls driving at 100 miles per hour back to the school. Outside the campus, she found police waiting to take action. They could hear children crying in school buildings and asking for their parents. Frustrated and upset by law enforcement’s lack of a response, Gomez tried to convince parents to enter the school together to get their children. Her action got her arrested and handcuffed. After she calmed down, officers uncuffed her. That’s when she ran away from the police, hopped a fence and ran inside.
Helping an Entire Class
Gomez first went to get one of her sons from a classroom, convincing his teacher to unlock and open the door. Not only did she get her child, but Gomez also helped evacuate the whole class. Then she turned around to get her other son. A video shows that once safe outside, the kid breaks down in tears, an image that cannot be easily forgotten.
The documentary also features Gomez’s relatives, Robb Elementary educators, parents of students killed and community residents. Teacher Arnulfo Reyes, the sole survivor of Classroom 111, was shot and saw her students die. Activist Tina Quintanilla, mother to a fourth grader who survived the shooting, talks about fighting systemic racism in Uvalde. Gomez’s cousin Issac Sanchez, a.k.a Rhianncé, said he saw Gomez going viral globally after the tragedy but also getting harassed for speaking out against the police.
Activism, Fame and Scrutiny
As more details about the police response to the shooting were released, Gomez increased her activism.
Security footage, cell phone recordings and news reports showed that law enforcement did not promptly respond outside the school, despite the rapid arrival of some officers and parents to the scene.
Law enforcement personnel stood outside the campus, initially blocking distressed parents from entering, sometimes resorting to handcuffs or tasers. Despite shots and screams audible on school cameras, officers lingered in the hallways before engaging. Ultimately, nearly 400 armed officers delayed intervention for 77 minutes. Gomez called the police officers “cowards.”
Amidst growing media attention and public acclaim for her actions on that tragic day, Gomez faced increasing scrutiny. While celebrated for her courage, she was questioned about her success when armed police failed. Despite others sharing criticisms of the Uvalde department, she became the target of their threats.
A Flawed Human Hero?
Like many heroes, Gomez, a survivor of domestic abuse, is not without flaws and past errors. Her criminal record related to an altercation with her abusive husband provided authorities with leverage to attempt to silence her. However, she remained resolute, ignoring a campaign to discredit her. Subsequently, she faced a wave of social media criticism, and even members of her own community spread negative rumors, further complicating her situation.
Though not primarily focused on addressing Gomez’s detractors, the documentary “Uvalde Mom” does not shy away from acknowledging criticism and delving into her personal history. While the narrative has gaps and lacks absolute clarity, the unwavering determination of Gomez remains the central, powerful inspiration. At a recent screening of the film in LA, Gomez reiterated a message she expresses in the documentary, which echoes in her interviews and public appearances.
“I am not a hero,” she said. “I’m just a mom.”
Nevertheless, many people watching may disagree with the Uvalde resident. After all, this seemingly ordinary woman, a mother and farmworker, rose to a tragic occasion, risking her life for her kids and facing additional adversity in her fight for justice.