ALL NEWS

Grieving husband dies after wife is slain in Texas shooting

May 26, 2022, 11:00 PM | Updated: May 27, 2022, 8:49 am

Elena Mendoza, 18, grieves in front of a cross honoring her cousin, Amerie Jo Garza, one of the vic...

Elena Mendoza, 18, grieves in front of a cross honoring her cousin, Amerie Jo Garza, one of the victims killed in this week's elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Thursday, May 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Irma Garcia’s family was already reeling from her death in the Texas school shooting that targeted her fourth grade classroom and killed her co-teacher and 19 students.

Then, a mere two days after the attack, her grieving husband collapsed and died at home from a heart attack, a family member said.

Joe Garcia, 50, dropped off flowers at his wife’s memorial Thursday morning in Uvalde, Texas, and returned home, where he “pretty much just fell over” and died, his nephew John Martinez told The New York Times.

Married for 24 years, the couple had four children.

Martinez told The Detroit Free Press that the family was struggling to grasp that while the couple’s oldest son trained for combat in the Marine Corps, it was his mother who was shot to death.

“Stuff like this should not be happening in schools,” he told the newspaper.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio and the Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary confirmed Joe Garcia’s death to The Associated Press. AP was unable to independently reach members of the Garcia family on Thursday.

The motive for the massacre — the nation’s deadliest school shooting since the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut — remained under investigation, with authorities saying the 18-year-old gunman had no known criminal or mental health history.

The rampage rocked a country already weary from gun violence and shattered the community of Uvalde, a largely Latino town of some 16,000 people about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the Mexican border.

The Garcias loved to barbecue, 48-year-old Irma wrote in an online letter to her students at Robb Elementary School. She enjoyed listening to music and traveling to Concan, a community along the Frio River about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Uvalde.

The couple’s oldest child, Cristian, is a Marine. The couple’s other son, Jose, attends Texas State University. Their eldest daughter, Lyliana, is a high school sophomore, while her younger sister is in the seventh grade.

The school year, scheduled to end Thursday, was Garcia’s 23rd year of teaching — all of it at Robb. She was previously named the school’s teacher of the year and was a 2019 recipient of the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Education from Trinity University.

For five years, Garcia co-taught with Eva Mireles, who also was killed.

The suspect, Salvador Ramos, was inside the classroom for more than an hour before he was killed in a shootout with law enforcement, authorities said.

“Mrs. Irma Garcia was my mentor when I began teaching,” her colleague Allison McCullough wrote when Garcia was named teacher of the year. “The wealth of knowledge and patience that she showed me was life changing.”

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

All News

The Powder Baby Dry Shampoo team poses with its check after winning the 2024 Utah Entrepreneur Chal...

Logan Stefanich, KSL.COM

BYU student startup wins $30K at Utah Entrepreneur Challenge

BYU entrepreneur Kylee Black, who founded Powder Baby, said the cash prize will be instrumental in advancing her business.

6 minutes ago

Utah Jazz Collin Sexton...

Ben Anderson

Jazz 3-18 Since Trade Deadline After Loss To Spurs

At 3-18 since the trade deadline, the Jazz now sit behind the 4-19 Portland Trail Blazers as the league’s worst team since February 8.

38 minutes ago

Myrtle Spurge is often touted as deer-resistant and drought-tolerant, but the plant is rapidly inva...

Eliza Pace

Salt Lake County Health warns of harmful myrtle spurge plant

Myrtle Spurge was originally introduced to Utah as a decorative plant but is an invasive species that has spread to natural areas.

1 hour ago

IRS texts are bogus. Picture shows a sign saying "warning, scam alert" on a keyboard...

Britt Johnson

Millions to be paid for Utah’s largest real estate scheme settlement

Over $10 million in refunds will go to victims of a Utah-based real estate scheme following the settlement of a lawsuit.

2 hours ago

Outside of the Yale University Law School is pictured on September 27, 2018 in New Haven, Connectic...

Zenebou Sylla, CNN

Some New England universities, including Yale, break $90,000 barrier for total tuition cost in upcoming school year

(CNN) — Several New England universities and colleges, including Yale, have reached a pinnacle of at least $90,000 for undergraduate tuition and costs starting this fall. Yale University, Tufts University, Boston University (BU), and Wellesley College are among a few private institutions that will top this year’s costs for tuition, housing and other expenses, according to […]

10 hours ago

A West Jordan man was arrested Tuesday for investigation of negligent homicide after he allegedly t...

Pat Reavy, ksl.com

West Jordan man shot, killed best friend while trying to ‘be funny,’ police say

A West Jordan man was arrested Tuesday for investigation of negligent homicide after shooting his "best friend."

11 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Mother and cute toddler child in a little fancy wooden cottage, reading a book, drinking tea and en...

Visit Bear Lake

How to find the best winter lodging in Bear Lake, Utah

Winter lodging in Bear Lake can be more limited than in the summer, but with some careful planning you can easily book your next winter trip.

Happy family in winter clothing at the ski resort, winter time, watching at mountains in front of t...

Visit Bear Lake

Ski more for less: Affordable ski resorts near Bear Lake, Utah

Plan your perfect ski getaway in Bear Lake this winter, with pristine slopes, affordable tickets, and breathtaking scenery.

front of the Butch Cassidy museum with a man in a cowboy hat standing in the doorway...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking Back: The History of Bear Lake

The history of Bear Lake is full of fascinating stories. At over 250,000 years old, the lake has seen generations of people visit its shores.

silhouette of a family looking over a lake with a bird in the top corner flying...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

8 Fun Activities To Do in Bear Lake Without Getting in the Water

Bear Lake offers plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy without having to get in the water. Catch 8 of our favorite activities.

Wellsville Mountains in the spring with a pond in the foreground...

Wasatch Property Management

Advantages of Renting Over Owning a Home

Renting allows you to enjoy luxury amenities and low maintenance without the long-term commitment and responsibilities of owning a home.

Clouds over a red rock vista in Hurricane, Utah...

Wasatch Property Management

Why Southern Utah is a Retirement Paradise

Retirement in southern Utah offers plenty of cultural and recreational opportunities. Find out all that this region has to offer.

Grieving husband dies after wife is slain in Texas shooting