Husband of teacher killed in Texas shooting dies ‘due to grief’ two days later

The couple had been married for 24 years and leave behind four children

The husband of a woman murdered in the Uvalde mass shooting has died of a heart attack two days after the attack.

Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, 46, one of the two faculty members who was killed by an 18-year-old gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, died from a heart attack just two days after losing his wife.

A family member confirmed his passing in a tweet, saying he “passed away due to grief.” The couple had been together since high school and had four children, according to the Dallas News.

“I truly am at a loss for words for how we are feeling,” John Martinez, Irma Garcia’s nephew, tweeted. “PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY. God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy.”

Ms Garcia had been working at Robb Elementary School for 23 years when she was killed and was considered an accomplished educator. In 2019, she was named a finalist for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, which is awarded to exceptional teachers in the San Antonio area by Trinity University.

“I have my eldest son completing Marine boot camp and another son Jose attending Texas State university University,” Ms Garcia wrote on her teacher’s page at the school’s website. “My eldest daughter Lyliana will be a sophomore in high school and my youngest Alysandra will be a 7th grader this year.”

She and Mr Garcia had been married for 24 years.

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A GoFundMe page has been set up for Ms Garcia’s family and her funeral expenses. She is described as having been “sweet, kind, [and] loving.” Her page has raised more than $170,000 since it was established.

“She sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom,” the GoFundMe page says. “She was a hero. She was loved by many and will truly be missed.”

Eva Mireles, 44, another teacher, was also killed Tuesday.

Ms Mireles’s husband is an officer with the school district’s police force.

Her cousin and grandmother lamented her loss on social media.

“My beautiful cousin! Such a devastating day for us all! My heart is shattered into a million pieces,” Arizmendi Mireles said.

Ms Mireles was a special educator who worked with both English and Spanish speaking students. She had been an educator for 17 years when she was killed. She primarily taught fourth-graders at the school.

On the school’s website, she describd herself as a mother of a college graduate and said she loved running and hiking with her “fun and loving” family.