A funeral mass is held for a teen boy killed in a Georgia high school shooting
WINDER, Ga. — A fourth and final funeral was held on Friday, more than two weeks after the shooting at a High school in Georgia.
About 600 mourners honored 14-year-old Christian Angulo during a funeral Mass at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winder, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. He was one of two students and two teachers killed September 4 at Apalachee High School by a student armed with an assault-style rifle. Another teacher and eight other students were wounded.
Family members did not speak at Christian’s service, but many wore shirts with a photo of Christian and the message: “Our angel in heaven. Your wings were ready, our hearts were not.”
Pastor Gregory John Hartmayer said in his sermon that the shooting has changed their community forever.
“Our focus is on the rays of love that radiated from Christian’s all-too-short life,” Hartmayer said. “Despite our sorrow, we are invited to celebrate the love and tenderness, the kindness and compassion, the joy and laughter that were so characteristic of Christian’s life.”
The funeral is another chance for students and teachers at the 1,900-student high school to share their grief. Barrow County’s other schools reopened Sept. 10, and officials are planning a phased reopening of Apalachee High School starting Tuesday.
Funerals were held earlier for the three other victims. Earlier this month, a private funeral was held for Richard Aspinwall, a 39-year-old math teacher and defensive coordinator for the school’s football team. Separate services were held Saturday for 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn and Cristina Irimie, a 53-year-old math teacher.
The authorities have a 14-year-old student chargedColt Gray, with murder in the high school murders. His father is also charged with second degree murder for allowing his son to have a gun.
Authorities say the teen surrendered to school resource officers who confronted him about three minutes after the first shots were fired. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says the teen rode the bus to school with the semi-automatic rifle hidden in his backpack.