The husband of one of the teachers murdered in Tuesday’s school shooting has died of a heart attack.
‘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,’ Irma’s cousin Debra Austin said.
The couple’s nephew tweeted that he had died of ‘grief’.
‘Please pray for our family. God have mercy on us,’ he said.
The pair were married for 24 years and had four children. It’s unclear how old the children are.
‘Those weren’t just her students, they were her kids as well.’
Mireles’ daughter revealed how her mother ‘jumped in front of students’ in a heartbreaking tribute on Wednesday.
‘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, 4th grade teacher at Robb Elementary who selflessly jumped in front of her students to save their lives,’ Adalynn Ruiz wrote on Facebook.
Garcia, a married mother of four, had taught at Robb Elementary for 23 years and was previously named ‘teacher of the year’.
She was one of 19 San Antonio-area educators named as finalists for Trinity University’s prize for excellence in teaching in 2019.
Garcia at the time taught third grade, specializing in social studies and ELAR, or English Language Arts and Reading.
‘I am so excited to begin this new school year already!’ she wrote on the school district’s website before the start of the school year.
The grandmother of one of the children who narrowly escaped the mass shooting said her granddaughter heard Ramos say ‘what do I have here?’ when he entered the classroom.
‘My granddaughter can’t take that out of her mind what he said… she had to run out the window,’ Anita Alves told ITV.com.
Garcia had taught at Robb Elementary for 23 years and was previously named ‘teacher of the year’.
