A visit to the playground might seem normal. For 10-year-old Ryland, it's a treat.
On Nov. 5, 2017, Ryland attended a church service with his stepmother and stepsisters at First Baptist Church Sutherland Springs.
Chancie Mcmahan, Ryland's mother, heard about the shooting at the church.
"So I then called Ryland's dad. He answered the phone by saying that 'Ryland has been shot,'" said Mcmahan.
Twenty-six people were killed, including Ryland's stepmother, Joann. She was shot more than 20 times as she shielded her children. Her daughters, Emily and Brooke, didn't make it, but Ryland and his stepsister, Rihanna, survived.
"He suffered five gunshot wounds, twice to the stomach," said Mcmahan.
Ryland was also shot in the leg shattering the bones. Wednesday the 10-year-old will have his 31st surgery. He also will be in a wheelchair again.
According to the CDC, gun violence is the No. 1 killer of kids in the U.S. Those who do survive, like Ryland, live with physical and mental scars.
"He suffers from PTSD and anxiety," said Mcmahan.
He also has nightmares and calls the shooter "The bad man."
More Americans died from gun-related injuries in 2020 than in any other year on record, according to recently published statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That included a record number of gun murders, as well as a near-record number of gun suicides.
Suicide has been on the rise, according to Pew Research. Murder numbers are climbing in the U.S.
Many times gun violence has left children with a lifetime of pain.
According to GUN VIOLENCEARCHIVE, 437 children have been injured or killed by a firearm in 2022.
Over the weekend, Kameron Lowe, 17, of Temple, died after being shot Monday, May 30. The shooting was in the 700 block of Edwards Drive after several calls came in for a disturbance. Two gunshot victims were transported privately to Seton Hospital in Harker Heights.
A 19-year-old male victim was treated for his gunshot wound and released.
Just like what we saw in Uvalde and Buffalo, mass shootings are now common in the U.S., with well over 200 in in 2022.
Waco police have been pushing for violence to come to an end in Central Texas.
There have been 433 violent crime arrests in Waco. These arrests include seven murders and 13 sexual assaults.
