Eva Mireles, a teacher at Rob Middle School the day a gunman entered and killed 19 students and two teachers, was able to talk to her husband at the last minute.
Merleles was in her 4th grade classroom when the 16-year-old shooter entered the building. She was shot dead but was able to call her husband, Ruben Ruiz, who was a school district police officer stationed outside the building, before passing.
On the opposite side of the school wall, Mireless and Ruiz had their last conversation, People reported.
“She’s in the classroom, and she’s out. It’s horrible, “Uvalade County Judge Bill Mitchell told reporters after sheriff’s deputies briefed those who were shooting.
The call carries extra importance. Although authorities have previously said that the commanding officer believed the gunman was barricaded in an empty classroom, phone calls between the couple suggest that at least one officer at the scene knew the gunman was in a room with students.
The new details come a day after a video of an emergency call informing officers that children were calling 911 from inside the house.
It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
“I don’t know what was said,” Mitchell told reporters beforehand. “He’s listening to his wife outside: ‘I’m dying,'” Mitchell said, not knowing his exact words.
Authorities are in the process of intercepting Mireless’s final phone call while his relatives are still mourning his death.
“His smile and personality were never unnoticed while he was around,” his family wrote in his obituary. “It was never a dull moment. She was an outstanding wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and educator. Eva will live forever in our hearts and memories.