UVALDE, Texas — It's been nearly a year since the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, and one word to describe the town is divided.
Some people are wanting to move on while others say they can't until they get some kind of accountability or action from the state.
Jesso Rizzo, the uncle of Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, said the pain for those who lost a loved one is still very real. In fact, many of those families haven't started the healing process.
"It doesn’t get easier on anyone. Especially on the parents," Rizzo said.
Rizzo and his family said they can't heal because they're fighting not just for accountability for those officers who waited to enter the classroom, but they're also asking for a change in gun laws.
"You cannot allow the children’s death and teachers to be in vain," he said.
The problem is, not everyone in Uvalde feels the same.
"You hope you get a lot of support, but in reality, you will have people that will tell you ... that they back you up, but they hardly ever come out," Rizzo said.
Some people wish families would move on.
"People just basically want to ignore it. Pretend like it never happened or just wished it would go away," Rizzo said. "That’s heartbreaking because it could have been anyone’s kids."
Despite it all, Rizzo said he will continue to attend every meeting and stand next to the grieving families through it all.
"To let them fight alone, that will never happen," he said. "Because I have hope. I will always have hope."
Hope that their deaths were not in vain.