Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old fourth-grader at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, exhibited extraordinary courage during the tragic school shooting on May 24, 2022.
When the gunman entered her classroom, Miah witnessed the horrific events that unfolded, including the shooting of her teachers and classmates. Fearing for her life, she smeared herself with her friend’s blood and played dead to avoid being targeted by the shooter.
Despite her injuries from bullet fragments, Miah managed to retrieve her teacher’s phone and called 911, pleading for help. She and her classmate, Khloie Torres, made multiple calls, urging the police to intervene.
In the aftermath, Miah bravely shared her experience in a pre-recorded testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She recounted the traumatic events and expressed her desire for such tragedies never to happen again.