Uvalde, Texas, is a small city not far from the U.S. southern border.
The city of about 15,200 people is in a region with a large Mexican American population.
Robert Gebeloff and
Uvalde is a small, working-class city about 80 miles west of San Antonio, about midway between that city and the border with Mexico.
The city of about 15,200 people is in a region with a large Mexican American population, according to census data. Many of its residents were born in the U.S. or have lived in the region for decades.
The city is also home to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection station.
In the neighborhood around Robb Elementary, more than 40 percent of residents have lived in the same house for at least 30 years, according to the American Community Survey, a census report that has more detailed information than the traditional census.
Its population skews young. More than a quarter of city residents are children, far above the national average, and more than a third live at or barely above the federal poverty line. Representative Joaquin Castro described Uvalde on Twitter as a “wonderful, tight-knit community.”
George Santizo said that Uvalde is so small that even though he recently moved there, he recalls seeing the suspect around town.
“In this town, everybody knows everybody,” Mr. Santizo said. “I’ve seen him around because this town is a small town.”
Alyssa Lukpat contributed.
Robert Gebeloff is a reporter specializing in data analysis. He works on in-depth stories where numbers help augment traditional reporting. More about Robert Gebeloff
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