Uvalde school shooting victim receives Girl Scout honor

By Katie Kindelan

Video by Nicolas Rothenberg

Amerie Jo Garza, 10, one of the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting, was a proud Girl Scout who had completed her bridging ceremony -- moving from one level of Girl Scouts to the next -- the week before she died.

On Tuesday, the day she was laid to rest in her hometown of Uvalde, Texas, it was announced that Amerie Jo was awarded one of Girl Scouts' highest honors.

The fourth grade student was awarded the Bronze Cross, an award given "for saving or attempting to save life at the risk of the Girl Scout's own life," according to Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, which announced the honor.

Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

A photo cutout of Amerie Jo Garza, one of the 19 children killed victims in the Robb Elementary school shooting, is seen at school memorial site on the day of her funeral in Uvalde, Texas, May 31, 2022.

"On May 24, 2022, Amerie did all she could to save the lives of her classmates and teachers," the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas said in a statement, adding, "We will carry her story with us always and ensure her brave actions will endure for generations."

Girl Scouts of the USA

Girl Scouts of the USA posthumously bestowed the Bronze Cross upon Amerie Jo Garza, 10, of Uvalde, Texas, one of the highest honors in Girl Scouting.

In addition to presenting the Bronze Cross to Amerie Jo's family, the Girl Scouts said they also honored the 10-year-old with a Presentation of Colors at her funeral.

"Amerie was a bright and outgoing fourth-grader who loved Play-Doh, playing with friends at recess—and being a Girl Scout," Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas said in a statement. "She was proud of the badges she earned."

On May 24, Amerie Jo was in a fourth grade classroom at Robb Elementary School when a gunman entered the school and then her classroom, killing 19 students and two teachers.

Courtesy the Families| Reuters| AP

The 21 people who died on May 24, 2022 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in a mass shooting.

Amerie Jo's stepfather, Angel Garza, told ABC News last week that his daughter just turned 10 on May 10.

Courtesy Angel Garza

Amerie Jo Garza, a victim in the school shooting on May 24, 2022, is pictured in an undated family photo.

"Thank you everyone for the prayers and help trying to find my baby," Garza wrote in a statement to ABC News. "She's been found. My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don't take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them. I love you Amerie Jo. Watch over your baby brother for me."

A visitation was held for Amerie Jo on Monday at Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home in Uvalde.

Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

People visit Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home in Uvalde, Texas, on May 30, 2022, during the visitation for Amerie Jo Garza, who died in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.

Jae C. Hong/AP

Pallbearers carry the casket of Amerie Jo Garza to her burial site in Uvalde, Texas, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Garza was one of the students killed in last week's shooting at Robb Elementary School.

Her funeral was held the next day, Tuesday, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, also in Uvalde.

Editor's note: Angel Garza was identified as Amerie Jo Garza's father. He was her stepfather, and a correction was made.