The husband of Irma Garcia, one of two teachers during a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, has died of a heart attack.
Joe Garcia died Thursday — just two days after his wife was when a gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, his family told .
Nineteen children and two teachers were in the massacre Tuesday.
Joe and Irma Garcia were high school sweethearts, and married for 24 years. They leave behind four children.
His death was first shared in a created by Garcia’s family. On the page, cousin Debra Garcia Austin wrote that Joe had died Thursday morning ‘as a result of a medical emergency.’
‘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,’ Austin wrote.
A man who identified himself as Garcia’s nephew in several tweets that have been shared by family members also shared the news of his Uncle’s death.
‘EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief,’ the nephew said in a . ‘[I] truly am at a loss for words for how we are all feeling.’
The nephew added: ‘My Tia Irma and Joe garcia were high school sweethearts and leave behind 4 beautiful children, their ages being 23, 19, 15 and the youngest only being 13 years old, no child should have to go through this, my heart breaks for them.’
Irma’s bio on the Uvalde school district’s website showcased her love for her husband and children.
‘My husband’s name is Joe Garcia. We have been married for 24 years and have 4 children,’ Garcia wrote.
‘I have my eldest Cristian son completing Marine boot camp and another son Jose attending Texas State University. My eldest daughter Lyliana will be a sophomore in high school and my youngest Alysandra will be a 7th grader this year.’
Her webpage also noted that this was her 23rd year of teaching. She spent her entire teaching career at Robb Elementary School.
For the last five years, Irma, 46, had been co-teaching with Eva Mireles, 44, who was also in the massacre. Mireles had worked in the Uvalde school district for 17 years.
The two co-teachers died shielding their 9 and 10-year-old students.
In an emotional tribute shared to Mireles’ daughter, Adalynn Ruiz, praised her mother who ‘selflessly jumped in front of her students to save their lives.’
‘Thank you for being the best mom anyone could ask for. You are so known by many now and I’m so happy that people know your name and that beautiful face of yours and they know what a hero looks like. I don’t know how to do this life without you, but I will take care of dad,’ Adalynn wrote.
‘I will take care of our dogs and I will forever say your name so you are always remembered, Eva Mireles, 4th grade teacher at Robb Elementary who selflessly jumped in front of her students to save their lives.’
A GoFundMe for the family to cover funeral expenses notes that Mireles left behind her daughter Adalynn, husband Ruben and her ‘beloved fur babies.’
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