At their beloved Town House restaurant, the bereaved of Uvalde find little comfort

Matthew Busch for CNN

At their beloved Town House restaurant, the bereaved of the Uvalde school shooting find little comfort.

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Alaa Elassar, CNN
May 27, 2022

(CNN) — The four large mirrors on the wall at Town House usually capture the smiles and laughter of families as they gather for a warm meal among neighbors. Tonight, they reflect all angles of heartbreak.

The tan booths and dark wooden tables at this family-style restaurant overflow with diners. It’s hard for servers to squeeze by as they take orders and refill empty glasses. Despite the crowd, it’s uncomfortably quiet.

What’s there to say?

Juan Martínez, co-owner of the restaurant, holds hands with his granddaughter, Jillian Martinez, who is 7 years old.
(Matthew Busch for CNN)

A gunman a day earlier had viciously murdered 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school just a couple miles down the road — and nothing will ever be the same.

“They were just babies,” one woman whispers, her body shifting toward the large television in the center of the dining room.

“Just babies,” the two men sitting beside her echo.