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Husband Of Texas Teacher Killed In Uvalde School Shooting Dies Of A "Broken Heart"

The whole country was shaken by the Uvalde school shooting on May 24. An armed 18-year-old opened fire in Robb Elementary School and killed 19 students and two teachers.

By Gina Florio1 min read
garcias
Getty/GoFundMe

Most of the children who were killed were only in fourth grade, and the two teachers were shot and killed were simply trying to protect their students from the mass murderer invading their classroom. The shooter was Salvador Ramos, a teenager who had a tumultuous family life and was known to be a loner with few friends who was heavily interested in video games.

Among the many victims who tragically lost their lives that day, Irma Garcia, 48, was one of the teachers who was shot and killed at the school. Sadly, her husband just passed away from a fatal heart attack.

Irma Garcia's Husband Dies of a "Broken Heart"

Joe and Irma Garcia were high school sweethearts who were married for 24 years. They have four children.

However, John Martinez, a nephew of the Garcias, confirmed today that his uncle passed away of a fatal heart attack only two days after the school shooting. He told PEOPLE that his uncle was administered chest compressions in an effort to revive him, but it was unsuccessful.

"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," Martinez tweeted.

Martinez says he believes that his uncle died of a "broken heart" after his beloved wife sacrificed her life protecting her students. The Garcia family has a GoFundMe account set up to help with funeral expenses and family needs. It has raised more than $116,000 so far.