Hero teacher Irma Garcia’s husband dies ‘due to grief’ two days after Texas school shooting

The broken hearted partner of one of the teachers who died defending students in the Texas school shooting has passed away just two days later.

The grief-stricken husband of a teacher killed in the Texas school massacre died of a heart attack just two days after the mass shooting, his family said on Thursday.

Joe Garcia died in the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde that killed 19 children and two teachers — including his wife of 24 years, Irma Garcia, her nephew said on Twitter, the New York Post reported.

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People drop off flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP)

“Extremely heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief,” the nephew said.

“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.”

“The pain doesn’t stop,” he added, minutes later.

Family members confirmed to Houston television station Fox26 that the cause of death was a heart attack.

Martinez told the New York Times that Joe had visited his wife’s memorial on Thursday morning to drop off flowers, and when he got back home, he “pretty much just fell over.”

In a GoFundMe shared online by the duos family, cousin Debra Garcia Austin wrote that Joe passed away on Thursday morning “as a result of a medical emergency.”

“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,” Austin wrote.

Joe and Irma were high school sweethearts and were married for 24 years, The Sun reported.

Joe Garcia, the grief-stricken husband of fourth-grade teacher Irma Garcia who was killed in the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre.

Irma Garcia, 46, taught alongside Eva Mireles, who was also gunned down by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos in the shooting in Uvalde, near the US border with Mexico.

The teachers reportedly died trying to protect the children from the shooter.

Teachers Irma and Eva Mireles were among 21 people killed during Tuesday’s massacre after suspected gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, barricaded himself inside their fourth-grade classroom and opened fire.

Nineteen students perished in the shooting at Robb Elementary. An additional 17 were injured.

15 others were taken to hospital, with most now being discharged.

Two 10-year-old girls remain in hospital in a serious condition, as does a 66-year-old woman. A nine-year-old girl is in hospital in a good condition, University Hospital San Antonio said.

Two police officers were wounded but did not sustain serious injuries.

When the authorities went inside the classroom moments after the shooting, Martinez said they had “found her body there, embracing children in her arms pretty much until her last breath.”

“She had treated her students as if they were her own children, Martinez, 21, told the Times.

The 21-year-old said it had been easy for loved ones to possibly “picture her putting her life on the line.”

Irma was “like a second mum” to her nephews and students, Martinez said. “She brings a joy and a light to the room.”

Irma’s school profile she said she enjoyed barbecuing with her husband and listening to music.

The Garcias leave behind four children.

With the New York Post and The Sun.