False accusation changed Uvalde, Texas employee's life as she continues healing journey

UVALDE, Texas (WOAI/KABB) — In the days following the mass shooting on May 24, 2022, at Robb Elementary School in Texas, Emilia "Amy" Marin, a coordinator for Afterschool Centers on Education, was falsely accused of leaving a door propped open, allegedly allowing the shooter to enter.

Texas Department of Public Safety Chief Steve McCraw stated in a May 27, 2022, news conference that the shooter entered through a door Marin had left open. This allegation was later proven false by DPS, but the damage to Marin's life had already been done.

DPS said McCraw would not be available for comment on this story.

Two years later, Marin continues to navigate the aftermath of the false accusation and the trauma of the massacre, where 19 students and two teachers were killed.

In her home, vibrant markers and paints line her craft corner, a testament to her new passion for art.

"I have so many colors," Marin said, explaining how each one serves a different purpose in her creative process.

Art has become a source of solace for her.

"I could sit here and do this till three o'clock in the morning," she shared, adding that creating art helps to calm her nerves. "I found that when I would sit there, I wouldn't shake."

Marin's life took a drastic turn on May 24. Recalling the harrowing day, she said, "My daughters asked me, 'Mom, was he shooting at you?' I said, 'I don't know. I was just running.'"

Accused of propping the door open, Marin's immediate response was, "I said, that's a lie."

Despite the retraction of the false claim, Marin has been deeply affected, experiencing anxiety, depression and PTSD.

"I'd always heard of those, but I was like, I know, I didn't really know what it was like," she said. “Now that I'm going through it, I understand.”

Marin's journey to recovery has been complicated by issues with workers' compensation. She has faced multiple denials for the treatment she needs.

"Every doctor that I see has to be under workers' comp. I've been denied several times," she said.

Edwards Risk Management, her workers' comp company, has not responded to requests for comments on her case. Marin continues to seek clarity on which doctors are covered under her plan, explaining that she is currently seeing a doctor outside of her coverage.

"It's saddening, because I shouldn't be suffering like this. I'm trying to heal," she said.

Marin also faces a critical deadline with her workers' comp, which pays for up to two years. She is awaiting an evaluation to determine if payments will continue.

"Nobody has reached out to me," she said.

Despite these challenges, Marin finds peace through her art.

"This is my art. Through my eyes. This is what I see," she said, showcasing her canvases. Many of her pieces include tributes to the victims of the massacre.

Marin's artistic journey began weeks after the tragedy, and she acknowledges how it has helped her cope.

"You said you didn't have the artistic hand before," reporter Amanda Henderson said.

"I did not have that before at all," Marin replied.

While Marin has not returned to work since the massacre, Uvalde CISD has reassigned her job title to classroom aide.

Reflecting on her personal growth, Marin said, “The other Amy was pretty loud and always laughing and joking and dancing, just happy. And this Amy is still trying to find herself.”

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