Chloe Rowland
Donations have been pouring in for fourth-grade teacher Irma Garcia, one of the 21 victims killed in the Robb Elementary School massacre this week.
Irma was killed after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos – who was shot by law enforcement at the scene – opened fire at the school in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday (24 May), in what marks the deadliest shooting since the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy.
Just two days later, Irma's family announced her husband of 23 years, Joe, had 'died of grief' after reportedly suffering a fatal heart attack just hours after laying down flowers at his wife's memorial.
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"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,” Debra Austin, one of Irma's cousins, said.
Also confirming the devastating news, John Martinez, Irma's nephew, wrote on Twitter: “Extremely heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief.
“I truly am at a loss for words for how we are all feeling. Please pray for our family. God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy.”
Following the tragedy, the Garcia family set up a GoFundMe page, which has seen donations reach nearly $2 million (£1.5 million) at the time of writing.
"Irma was a wife, a mother of 4, a cousin, a sister a daughter, an aunt and a wonderful person. She would literally do anything for anybody......no questions asked. She loved her classroom kids and died trying to protect them," Debra wrote on the page.
"I am equally devastated to report Irma's husband Joe has tragically passed away this morning(5/26/2022) as a result of a medical emergency. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers," she added.
In the aftermath of Tuesday's attack, fresh questions are once again being raised over gun laws in the US, with the massacre adding to a horrifying tally of mass shootings in the state.
In 2017, a gunman at a Texas church killed more than 24 people during a Sunday service in Sutherland Springs. Just one year later, 10 people were fatally shot at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, President Joe Biden called for change, saying: "When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?
"I am sick and tired. We have to act."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677