10-year-old Uvalde survivor says 'almost all' of his friends died in the shooting
- A 10-year-old boy told CNN that "almost all" of his friends died in the Uvalde shooting on Tuesday.
- In a heartbreaking moment, Jayden Perez began to list the names of his murdered friends.
A 4th-grade boy who survived the Uvalde shooting by hiding with his classmates near students' backpacks said "almost all" of his friends were killed in the "terrifying" attack.
On Tuesday, an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 21 people, including 19 children and two teachers, all of whom were in the same fourth-grade classroom.
Jayden Perez, 10, described his experience trying to hide from the shooter with several of his classmates, telling CNN that concealing themselves with backpacks or under a table didn't stop some of the children from getting hurt.
"The shooter shot through the window and hurt my friend and teacher," he told the outlet.
Jayden said his teacher was hit in the side, while one of his friends got shot "through the nose." Both had to undergo surgery, the child said.
In the days since the shooting, first-hand accounts from the survivors themselves — the young students who witnessed the gunman's massacre — have begun to emerge and underline the vivid horrors of Tuesday's tragedy.
Jayden told CNN that he eventually escaped with the help of a police officer who helped him and his classmates get out through a window.
In a heartbreaking moment, the boy began to list off the names of his friends who were murdered.
"McKenna, Tess, Annabell," Jayden said. "Basically almost all of them."
Just 90 minutes before the shooting began, Jayden and several other students were celebrated at an end-of-school ceremony for students who achieved honor roll status, the outlet reported.
But now, Jayden said he never wants to go back to school.
"I don't want to because I don't want anything to do with another shooting and me in the school," he said. Perez told CNN he's afraid it could happen again.
"I know it might happen again, probably," he said.
Jayden's mother told the outlet that waiting to hear news about her child in the immediate aftermath of the shooting was tough. But when the family was finally reunited with Jayden, he said they hugged each other tight.
Still, the emotional pain persists for the young boy.
"I'm still sad about some of my friends that died," Jayden said. "You never know whenever you're gonna lose someone close to you."