A final funeral service was held on Friday for 14-year-old Christian Angulo, one of the victims of the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. The funeral mass took place at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winder and was attended by approximately 600 mourners.
Christian Angulo was one of four individuals who lost their lives in the shooting incident that occurred on September 4. The attack, carried out by a student armed with an assault-style rifle, also resulted in injuries to another teacher and eight students.
During the service, family members chose not to speak but instead wore shirts bearing a photo of Christian with the message, 'Our angel in heaven. Your wings were ready, our hearts were not.' Reverend Gregory John Hartmayer, delivering the homily, acknowledged the profound impact of the tragedy on the community, emphasizing the need to celebrate the love and positive qualities that defined Christian's life.
The funeral served as a moment of collective mourning for the students and faculty of Apalachee High School, which is set to begin a phased reopening next week. The school, which has a student population of 1,900, has been closed since the incident.
Prior funerals were held for the other victims of the shooting, including a private service for math teacher Richard Aspinwall, as well as separate services for 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn and teacher Cristina Irimie.
The alleged perpetrator of the attack, a 14-year-old student named Colt Gray, has been charged with murder. Additionally, Gray's father faces charges of second-degree murder for allowing his son access to the weapon used in the shooting. Authorities reported that the teenager surrendered to school resource officers shortly after the incident, with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealing that the firearm had been concealed in his backpack during his bus ride to school.
