Alrighty, so picture this: it’s early April in Uvalde, and the smell of barbecue is wafting through the air. You see professional barbecue chefs and backyard grill warriors gathering at the Uvalde County Fairplex to smoke some ribs, brisket, and barbacoa overnight for a weekend cookoff. It’s a big deal for the 12 or so competitors from the 830 area code because it’s all for a good cause – the Makenna Elrod Seiler Memorial Scholarship Event.
This event is held in memory of Makenna Elrod Seiler, a 10-year-old student who tragically lost her life in a school shooting at Robb Elementary School three years ago. The community comes together to raise funds for scholarships in her honor. One of the participants, registered nurse Sarah Reyes, and her husband Mike, make sure to never miss this event. They live near the border in Del Rio and travel around the area in their food truck, Whatcha Smokin’, to compete in local cookoffs.
The tragic shooting not only left a scar on the city of Uvalde, but it also shed light on a concerning issue – high-speed pursuits in the area. A Texas House committee’s investigation revealed that frequent “bailouts” during law enforcement chases near Robb Elementary led to desensitization among teachers and administrators to emergency alerts. These alerts didn’t specify the nature of the emergency, causing confusion and chaos in the community. In the two years leading up to the shooting, there were 57 vehicle pursuits in Uvalde County that ended in suspects fleeing on foot, adding to the tension in the area.
