NOT FORGOTTEN
Daughter’s tribute to parents.. both victims of Texas shooter
THE orphaned sons of Uvalde victims Irma and Joe Garcia yesterday fought back tears as they carried their parents’ coffins at their funeral.
Heroic Irma, 48, died trying to save her fourth-grade pupils at Robb Elementary School when crazed Salvador Ramos stormed her classroom in the Texas town. Fellow teacher Eva Mireles, 44, and
19 pupils were also killed.
Two days later, Irma’s high school sweetheart Joe, 50, – full name Jose Antonio – had a fatal heart attack after laying flowers at a memorial.
In a tribute to her parents penned at the weekend, daughter Lyliana, 15, said: “I will spend the rest of my life fighting for you. Your names will not be forgotten.”
Sons Jose, 19, and Cristian, 23, were among the pallbearers yesterday after arriving in black limousines with Lyliana and their other sister, Alysandra, 13.
Jose was embraced by the Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo García-Siller, who led the Mass at the Sacred Heart
Catholic Church, which Joe and Irma had regularly attended.
Cristian, who recently joined the US Marines, was in uniform. His fellow soldiers formed a guard of honour as hundreds of mourners arrived.
In a tribute, the family said Irma had died “selflessly protecting her angels”. They added: “Jose Antonio Garcia joined the love of his life and was welcomed into the arms of his wife, Irma, and our Lord on May 26.”
After the two-hour Mass, Cristian saluted his parents’ coffins before helping to carry them to hearses.
Ramos went on his killing spree on May 24 after wounding his grandmother, Celia Gonzalez, 66. He had bought his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle days earlier for his 18th birthday. Police later shot him dead.
The horror reignited debate on gun laws and led to criticism of the police.
Officers didn’t enter the classroom for more than 40 minutes after being called.