Flowers and candles are placed around crosses at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School to honor the victims killed in the shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
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Flowers and candles are placed around crosses at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School to honor the victims killed in the shooting in Uvalde, Texas. / AP

In the days after the mass shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the front pages of the Uvalde Leader-News have captured darkness and the stories of the lives lost.

Two days after the shooting, the paper — which publishes a print edition twice a week — kept its front cover simple and solemn: a jet black background with the date of the shooting, "May 24, 2022," emblazoned in a bold white font.

On Sunday, the independent paper published the faces of the 21 victims. It's a powerful homage to the lives lost, and a stark contrast from the front page just days before. The headline reads "They were smart, funny, loved."

The Uvalde Leader-News newspaper on Sunday.
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The Uvalde Leader-News newspaper on Sunday. / Uvalde Leader-News

The article tells the lives of the victims. Among them, Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, 10, who dreamed of becoming a marine biologist; and Alexandria "Lexi" Aniyah Rubio, 10, an aspiring lawyer. Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10, loved coloring and Amerie Jo Garza, 10, enjoyed Starbucks vanilla bean Frappuccinos.

The Uvalde Leader-News newspaper on Thursday.
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The Uvalde Leader-News newspaper on Thursday. / Uvalde Leader-News

The Uvalde Leader-News has been steeped in the community for more than a century. The paper's slogan, printed beneath the publication's name, reminds readers of a history that dates back to 1879. The paper is independent and locally owned.

Over the years, Uvalde has seen a slew of newspapers in the community, including the Uvalde Umpire, The Weekly Hesperian and The West Texan, according to the Leader-News website.

John Nance Garner, who served as vice president of the United States under Franklin D. Roosevelt, was once editor of a Uvalde newspaper.

H.P. Hornby Sr. established The Uvalde Leader and later bought The Uvalde News in 1901. The titles were blended together to reach the paper's current name.

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