Slain Teacher's Husband Dies 2 Days After Her

Joe Garcia will not be counted among the official victims of Tuesday's massacre in Uvalde, Texas, but he may as well be. Garcia—the husband of one of two teachers killed in the assault—suffered a fatal heart attack on Thursday, reports the Dallas Morning News. Garcia had been married to Irma Garcia, a fourth-grade teacher at Robb Elementary School, for 24 years. “I truly am at a loss for words for how we are feeling,” tweeted John Martinez, Irma Garcia’s nephew. “PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY. God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy.”

No age was immediately given for Joe Garcia, but his wife was 49, and they were described as high school sweethearts. The couple had four children, per KDFW. “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,” writes Debra Austin, a cousin of Irma's, on a GoFundMe page for the family, per the Daily Beast. (More Uvalde mass shooting stories.)