It’s an unfortunate reality in America that any conversation about school shootings includes far too many examples that should have inspired direct action to curb them from happening again in the future. But due to a sharp political divide on root causes and gun control, little has been accomplished despite decades of red flags and opportunities for change. In some cases, law enforcement has been jarringly ineffective, prompting rightful anger from those who believe their loved ones could have been spared if only for more pointed intervention. Uvalde Mom showcases the true story of one mother who took it upon herself to enter an active shooter zone to save her own children, and has since faced blowback for doing so when authorities weren’t doing anything.
The subject of Uvalde Mom is Angeli Rose Gomez, a mother of two living in Uvalde, Texas, who showed up to Robb Elementary School on May 24th, 2022 and ran inside to save her sons. Hailed as a hero by many in the immediate aftermath, she used her visibility to advocate for change and accountability, emphasizing how a teacher whose classroom was breached had repeatedly reported that it was broken with no success getting it fixed, and that even she, who didn’t pose a threat, shouldn’t have been able to gain entry to the building as easily as she did. Most of all, her crusade rests on the ineffectiveness of law enforcement, which was gathered outside but waited a staggering 77 minutes to do something to stop the shooter.
The subject of this film will likely be relatable for a wide audience because of the prevalence of school shootings in America. While there are universal themes in Angelo’s struggle, this situation also has certain specifics that are important to note. Uvalde being divided between white and Hispanic communities – with Robb on the Hispanic side – means that the state’s government didn’t put the same effort into prioritizing their safety, with Governor Greg Abbott inciting anger by proclaiming that “it could have been worse,” a sentiment that doesn’t sit well with those who lost children and for whom nothing could possibly be worse.
Angeli is a fascinating subject since her past includes aspirations of joining law enforcement only to find her career and life derailed by an arrest for trying to protect her children from her abusive spouse. That criminal record leads to Angeli being targeted for her activism, accused of violating her parole as a way to scare her into silence. She’s also subjected to conspiracy theories similar to those spun in a documentary at SXSW last year, The Truth vs. Alex Jones, suggesting that she didn’t actually go into the building during the shooting and that she at one point couldn’t remember if she had sons or daughters. Despite everything against her, Angeli remains determined to not let her story become one others have to repeat.
This film’s Texas setting makes it a fitting choice to premiere at SXSW, famously a more liberal festival than the state and its government for the past few decades. In the film, a proposed gun reform bill to raise the age required to purchase assault weapons to 21 provides some hope, only to fail like the many before it in the past half-century. That the police’s official story about what happened as the shooting was unfolding changed over a dozen times signals that people are trying to shift blame to others rather than do anything concrete to fix one very identifiable problem and improve the system so it can’t happen again. Angeli is someone who doesn’t want to take no – or not yet – for an answer, and this film offers a stirring showcase of her resilience and her determination to do something, even if it adversely affects her, for the sake of future generations who shouldn’t have to go through anything like this again and again.
Grade: B+
Check out more of Abe Friedtanzer’s articles.
Uvalde Mom makes its world premiere Documentary Spotlight section at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.