A 10-year-old girl who was killed in the Texas school massacre was laid to rest as funerals of the victims of the shooting began on Tuesday afternoon.
Amerie Jo Garza, 10, was one of the first students to get killed after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos stormed Robb Elementary School and opened fire with his AR15-style rifle.
On Tuesday afternoon, the young girl was laid to rest in a tear-jerking ceremony after the mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde.
The funeral marked the first of a total of 21 funerals to be held in the tight-knit Texan community following the disturbing mass shooting.
Dressed in shades of pink and purple – Amerie’s favorite colors – mourners gathered at the lavender-decorated church as the girl’s coffin was brought in.
As Amerie’s family explained, the 10-year-old was a smart, sassy, and funny child with a heart of gold. She was also “the sweetest” child and a role model student.
“Amerie Jo Garza was a kind, caring, blunt, loving, sweet, sassy and of course funny little diva who ‘hated dresses’ but nonetheless; she truly had a heart of gold,” the family expressed.
Following the emotional mass at the 114-year-old church, the family escorted Amerie to Hillcrest Memorial cemetery in a procession.
“You did not deserve this my sweet baby girl. Mommy loves you, mommy can’t sleep without you, mommy needs you, Amerie I can’t do this life without you,” the girl’s mother, Kimberly Garcia, penned in a heartbreaking post before the funeral.
“How am I supposed to live life without you? I will never understand. I love you and I’ll never be the same, ever again.”
Speaking out after the young girl’s death was also Amerie’s medic stepfather, Angel Garza, who broke into tears after arriving at Robb Elementary School only to find out that his daughter was shot dead.
“I just want people to know she died trying to save her classmates. She just wanted to save everyone,” he said, explaining how Amerie was shot after the gunman heard her calling the police.
Our hearts go out to Amerie’s family and the families of all the victims of the mass shooting.
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