ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Two teachers and 19 students were killed Tuesday during a shooting at a Texas elementary school. While the shooting is more than 1,000 miles away, one Anderson Township mother immediately reached out to a friend living in Uvalde.
When Xavier University professor Leslie Rasmussen received a news alert about a school shooting at Robb Elementary School, she thought of her friend, Terie Trevino Hoskins, whose family lives in Uvalde. She contacted Hoskins, who told her the shooting took place down the road from her daughter's school.
Hoskins said her daughter, who is in first grade, will go to Robb Elementary for second grade. While Hoskins was told her kids were safe, she had to wait while their school was on lockdown.
“As the day went on, she just kept telling us, 'I just want to hold my babies. I just want to hold my babies,'" Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen read the text message she received from her friend Wednesday morning.
“I can't believe this happened or even explain the heartbreak our community is feeling right now," the message says. "Thank God my girls are safe in my arms, but I’m sick to my stomach for the pain our friends and neighbors and community feel right now. Uvalde won't be the same. The parents of Uvalde won't be the same."
Hoskins personally knew three of the kids that were killed yesterday. Rasmussen said her friend is overwhelmed with grief, like many others are across the country.
Alan Mullins was the school psychologist at the Paducah, Kentucky school shooting tragedy in 1997.
“It makes my heartbreak for the senseless loss of life,” Mullins said. “It brings up anguish and frustration because, you know, here we are 25 years later from my incident that I was involved in and we're still dealing with these kinds of tragedies,"
Mullins’ message to parents is simple.
"Please go home and hug your kids in love and tell them you love them," Mullins said. "Talk to them. Don't ever hesitate to talk to your children about life and about how you feel about them."
Mullins said the most important thing kids need after a tragedy like this is safety and security. Whether it's a parent, coach or teacher, it's important kids have someone to talk with to work through their emotions.
ABC News and the Associated Press have confirmed the identities of some of the children killed in Tuesday's shooting. Here are their names and photos.
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