Uvalde

Kim Kardashian Asks for Temporary Prison Release of Uvalde Shooting Victim's Father

The reality star wrote a message on Instagram Stories for a petition

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Kim Kardashian is doing what she can to help a grieving family in Uvalde, Texas.

On June 2, "The Kardashians" star reached out to prison officials to petition for the temporary release of Eli Torres, the father of one of the 19 children killed in the Uvalde school shooting on May 24.

"This is Eliahana 'Ellie' Cruz Torres, 10 years old, and one of the 19 victims of the shooting in Uvalde, TX," Kardashian wrote on Instagram Stories with a photo of the elementary school student. "Her family are desperately hoping that her father, who is incarcerated for a non-violent drug offense, be granted temporary release so that he can attend her funeral."

Kardashian continued, "I ask the @Bureauofprisons to grant Eli Torres temporary release so that he can say his last goodbye to his baby girl. Every parent deserves that right."

According to Bureau of Prisons online records, Torres, 45, is currently locked up in Pine Knot, Kentucky and not scheduled for release until 2033. Kentucky State Representative Attica Scott said on Twitter that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has denied the request to allow Ellie's father to attend her funeral.

Scott has since sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear advocating for the Torres family.

According to Scott's letter, Torres was only one week away from having physical contact with his daughter before the shooting took place.

Back on May 25, Kardashian addressed the tragedy at Robb Elementary school that left 19 children and two teachers dead. In a series of tweets, the reality star pleaded for new gun laws including a ban on semi-automatic weapons.

"I find myself heartbroken, disgusted and furious about how little has been done by law makers to enact gun laws that protect our children," she wrote. "We can't accept it. We can't have another five years go by without effective, impactful laws put in place to protect our kids. We are parents, we are mothers, we are begging and pleading for action."

Kardashian added, "I'm urging our leaders to come together and put politics aside and put children first." In recent years, Kardashian has used her platform to push for criminal justice reform. In June 2018, she had the opportunity to meet with President Donald Trump.

Before the Torres family received confirmation that Ellie was one of the victims, her aunt said the fourth-grader was looking forward to her final softball game of the season.

"She was...saying that it was her last game and she didn't want softball to end," Ellie's aunt told San Antonio's KENS 5. "And she was excited because they were gonna announce the ones that made it to all-stars."

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