Wayne County residents honor Uvadale victims

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - After disaster struck Robb Elementary School last month, one Wayne County resident felt a call to honor those victims.

Mary Taylor, a former educator, went to the Waynesboro City Council with an idea to answer that call.

“We knew we couldn’t reach the families, but I thought we need to do something for representation of those children and their teachers that lost their life in this terrible tragedy,” said Taylor. “And, I know it reached out to everybody, touched their heart, that know that they could have been your child.”

The plan involved dedicating a tree at South End Park in memory of the victims.

Nakiyah McInnis, a resident of Wayne County, said she knew she had to attend the dedication.

“I felt like it was a very special opportunity to represent the children that lost their lives at the Robb Elementary School shooting,” said McInnis. “I think it’s very special that we remember that it was the children whose lives were lost and important to keep in mind and just remember them, who they could of grown up to be, even though that was taken away from them.”

Attendees tied yellow ribbons to the tree in honor of the Uvalde teachers and students.

“If people were not here today, if they want to come by and tie the tree,” said Taylor. “I know we said Wayne County, but you don’t have to be in Wayne County. If you’re passing through and you want to come by, there will be a ribbon left in that little carton for you to tie one on there.”

McInnis said this show of support from the community has impacted her, both as a current student and a member of Wayne county.

“That really shows how Wayne County is,” said McInnis. “How we’re unified enough to give back even not to our community but to the people all the way in a whole another state. It shows our support for our city, our country and everybody who’s fallen victim to the lost that we had recently.”

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