Outcry follows film on Uvalde

UVALDE — A documentary about the May 24 Robb Elementary School shooting has prompted some families of the victims to demand it not be shown next week in a Uvalde theater.

Forum 6 Theaters owner Jacob Henson, in a Facebook post this week, unveiled plans to air the documentary “Robb-Ed” on Feb. 3, saying he “struggled on whether I should play this documentary or not for a long time. Part of me feels like we should never show it, another part that it is still too soon.”

Families of the victims quickly responded, accusing documentary filmmaker Charlie Minn of dishonestly representing himself to them, with Gloria Hernandez Cazares saying that most relatives of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the shooting had refused to attend a private viewing of the film. The post was later removed, with Henson saying he would air the film to the families before deciding his next move.

Some of the families posted messages on Facebook expressing outrage that the movie would be shown to the public, with more than a few saying they would not watch it. They accused Minn, a filmmaker who specializes in documentaries about sensational murders and once made a movie about the Sutherland Springs massacre in 2017, of manipulating them in a time of extreme weakness, but at least one said he agreed to support his project and believed it was important for the public to see it.

“FYI: Charlie Minn took advantage of how vulnerable we were at that time. He said our children/moms were going to be honored,” said Casarez, whose 9-year-old daughter, Jacklyn, was among those killed in the massacre. “He lied to us. I regret ever interviewing with him. I do not support this film.”

But Alfred Garza III, whose daughter, Amerie, was killed in the massacre, said he believed the contro

versy “is getting a little out of hand” and argued the “documentary was developed to get our story out and build awareness,” and that it was no different from reporting from a television station.

“I participated because I wanted the world to know who Amerie Jo Garza was and how this tragedy became reality for us,” he wrote Monday in a Facebook post. “That was my intent then and it’s the same now.”

Henson’s posting of plans to hold a public viewing of the documentary, made Monday on Forum 6 Theaters Facebook page, was lambasted by most of the people commenting, some families of the Robb victims among them. He told the San Antonio Express-News in an interview that he took down the post because “we changed our plan.” He said he would poll families of the victims after they see the movie before deciding whether to air the documentary to the public.

However, he stopped short of saying his decision would hinge on the outcome of their vote, explaining, “if the general consensus of the families is they don’t want it shown, that will be the biggest part of the decision-making,” but added that more than just the final tally of who was for the screening and against it would drive his final call.

“I would take more than that into consideration. If it’s pretty close, majority-wise, I would take into consideration what they say about it, too,” Henson said. “If a majority of them want it shown but a minority don’t, I’m going to find out why the minority don’t and the don’ts will have a bigger weight.”

The private showing set for next Monday evening was planned all along, he said adding that Minn was organizing the event.

Henson also said he would take no money from the proceeds, instead donating it to the Uvalde school district’s Moving Forward Foundation, which is raising funds for construction of a new elementary campus to replace Robb.

Adult tickets will cost $6.50, $4 for matinees, with children and seniors paying $4.50, he said.

The comments on Forum 6 Theaters Facebook page underscored the raw emotion and anger of families who suffered losses in the shooting.

In a Facebook post Monday, Veronica Luevanos wrote, “Looking at your videos and pictures makes me want to grab you from there and never letting go of you my LOVE!!! YOUR FOREVER MISSED JAILAH FROM DOWN HERE I'M FREAKING HURT WITH THE LOST OF YOU AND JAYCE I LOVE YOU MY LIL MAMAS FOREVER AND EVER ”

Another parent, Ana Rodriguez, accused Minn of directing “this documentary … for the wrong reasons” and wrote on her Facebook page, “he’s an opportunist and took advantage of our vulnerability and how fresh the tragedy was.” Her daughter, Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, 10, was among those gunned down by Salvador Ramos, a high school dropout federal agents killed at the end of the 77minute siege.

Henson, the movie theater owner, said he would find out how Minns misled the families if that allegation arises and said “that would be part of the decision-making for sure” on whether to screen the documentary to the public. But when pressed that he would not rule out a showing of the film to the public if families made that allegation, he replied after a long pause, “That’s kind of a loaded question.”

He noted that some people have already made that allegation, without having even seen the movie, but went on to say that if someone said they had been lied to after watching the documentary “that would be a differnt situation” than if the claim had been made on Facebook.

In that case, he would ask more about the allegation before deciding whether to give the movie a public viewing.

“To be fair, yes,” he said.

Henson also said he showed the Sutherland Springs documentary in Pleasanton about a year after the shooting, and that he feels some apprehension about showing Minn’s film only eight months after the Robb shooting.

“That was one of the biggest concerns I had, yes,” he said, and when asked why, he replied, “Just the rawness of the emotion.”

Henson said the showing of the documentary might run one week, but also saw no upside no matter how the controversy ends.

“I don’t think there is a good decision to be made,” he said. “I think no matter what I do, somebody’s going to be unhappy.”