She passed away with children in her arms, trying to protect them. Those weren’t just her students; they were her kids as well.
Irma Garcia was among the two teachers killed by 18-Year-Old Salvador Ramos in Uvalde, Texas.
Survivors from the shooting have told how Irma and fellow teacher Eva Mireles, 44, died shielding children from the gunman’s bullets.
“She passed away with children in her arms, trying to protect them. Those weren’t just her students; they were her kids as well,” Irma’s nephew John Martinez wrote on Twitter.
Sadly, Irma’s family is faced with another shock as husband and father Joe Garcia has died of a heart attack.
The pair were married for 24years and had four children. It’s unknown how old the children are, but so far, a GoFundMe page set up by the family has insisted Joe died of a broken heart.
“I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart, and losing the love of his life of more than 30 years was too much to bear. Please pray for our family. God have mercy on us,” Irma’s cousin Debra Austin wrote.
Irma, a married mom of four, had taught at Robb Elementary for 23 years and was previously named teacher of the year.
The 46-Year-Old was one of 19 San Antonio-area educators named as finalists for Trinity University’s prize for excellence in teaching in 2019.
She had at the time taught third grade specializing in social studies and ELAR or English Language Arts and Reading.
Irma’s eldest son is in a military boot camp while her second son attends Texas State University, and she has two younger daughters as well.
Mireles’ daughter revealed how her mom jumped in front of students in a tribute shared online.
She wrote: “I don’t know how to do this life without you, but I will take care of dad.
I will take care of our dogs, and I will forever say your name so you are always remembered, Eva Mireles, a 4th-grade teacher at Robb Elementary who selflessly jumped in front of her students to save their lives.”
Mireles had been trained in bilingual and special education, loved outdoor activities such as running and hiking, and cherished her husband.
Mireles’ husband, Ruben Ruiz [pictured], is a police officer on the school district’s police force, the agency investigating the massacre.
However, Uvalde – nearly 80 miles west of San Antonio, has canceled schools across the district for the remainder of the year and established grief counseling for survivors.
On the other hand, a grandmother of one of the children who narrowly escaped the mass shooting said her granddaughter heard Ramos [pictured below] say, “What do I have here?” when he entered the classroom.
