Funerals for Uvalde school shooting victims begin

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Funerals for Uvalde school shooting victims begin

Balloons honoring the victims killed in last week's school shooting sway in the wind at a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Thursday, June 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

OAN NEWSROOM

UPDATED 10:13 AM PT – Thursday, June 2, 2022

Mourners gathered in Uvalde, Texas to pay their respects to the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting. On Wednesday, Uvalde said goodbye to high school sweethearts Irma and Jose Garcia.

Irma Garcia was one of the two teachers killed in the horrific shooting. Her husband Jose Garcia died of a heart attack just two days after the incident, following a visit to her memorial. Garcia died while using her body to shield students after the shooter entered the school last week, killing her co-teacher and 19 children. The two were married for 24 years and left behind four children.

"They came to mass every Sunday," said Father Eduardo D. Morales. "Helping whenever we needed help. She shielded the children and that's who she would be. They say will you lay your life down for one, she did." 

Visitations, funerals and burial services for the 21 victims started this week . The funerals will continue through mid-June. Services for 10-year-olds Amerie Jo Garza and Maite Rodriguez were held on Tuesday. Both died while trying to save their classmates from the shooter.

"Ten years isn't enough for her," voiced Destiny Esquivel, cousin of Maite Rodriguez. "She had more than that. In the casket she looks like nothing happened to her, she looks like she died at peace. We all know that every single one of these kids had their story to tell and it was cut short."

The Texas Department of Public Safety said Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo has yet to respond to a request for a follow up interview with investigators. Questions as to why it took officers over an hour to breach the classroom remain unanswered. In the meantime, authorities continue their investigations into the shooting.

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