Irma Garcia was killed during the Robb Elementary School shooting on Tuesday; her husband Joe Garcia died of a heart attack on Thursday. A fourth-grade teacher with more than 23 teaching experience, Irma was killed alongside another teacher and 19 students when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos walked into the school in Uvalde, Texas, with rifle and began shooting at random. The other teacher killed was Eva Mireles, Irma’s colleague.
Irma’s husband Joe suffered a fatal heart attack attributed to the unfortunate death of his wife and died on Thursday. The late couple attended the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde, and according to the Archdiocese of San Antonio, the couple had four children – two sons and two daughters.
Irma’s cousin said Joe died of a broken heart in a GoFundMe campaign.
“Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers,” the GoFundMe post stated. “I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart and losing the love of his life of more than 25 years was too much to bear.”
Irma’s nephew, John Martinez, created another GoFundMe campaign in which he said Irma and Joe were high school lovers that were loved by everyone. He said the fund that will be raised through the campaign will be used to cater to her children’s welfare. “The money will be used for any expenses needed for the future education of their children and for the family needs,” he stated.
Authorities said Ramos made several Facebook posts 30 minutes before carrying out the shooting attack at Robb Elementary School. In one of the first posts, he said “I’m going to shoot my grandmother,” and then several minutes later, he wrote that “I shot my grandmother” before going on to post that “I’m going to shoot an elementary school.” His grandmother was actually shot in the face, and she remains in critical condition at the hospital.