The families of two 10-year-old cousins who were killed in the horrific school shooting in Texas last week have held a joint wake with the youngsters’ favourite themes.
Just over one week after the massacre at Robb Elementary School, Jailah Silguero and her cousin Jayce Luevanos lay in coffins at the Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home in Uvalde.
Heartbroken relatives had Jailah’s coffin coloured pink and white with the words “TikTok” and “Pop” written on it while Jayce’s was coloured green with a dinosaur and rainforest theme.
Alongside them were photos and teddy bears, reported the New York Post.
There was also video footage of the two on a screen at the funeral home that included a film of Jailah dancing.
The two cousins were among 19 children and two teachers who were killed after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire after going into the school, according to Mirror Online.
Jailah had asked to stay at home on the day of the shooting, said her mum, but because there were only two days left in the school year, she insisted she went in.
Now the heartbroken mum says that if she had said yes, her young girl might still be with her.
Jailah’s grandmother, Linda Gonzales, spoke to The Daily Beast and said: “Jailah didn’t want to go to school yesterday.
She added that’s what really upset Jailah’s mum, Veronica Luevanos, and left her thinking: “If only I had let her stay home”.
Gonzales said: “They were just so sweet. They were sweet kids and lovable. What can you say about little innocent kids?
“I don’t have words. We think this is a small community, it can’t happen here, but oh my God, it’s happening anywhere.”
Another relative of Jailah, called Carlos, told how she loved to skateboard, bicycle and play with her cousins.
“She was a big ray of sunshine. She was real talkative…She had a big heart especially with children younger than her,” Carlos told the New York Post.
“She just had a big heart. She’s going to be missed a lot.”
Meanwhile, separate memorial services, both closed to the media, were held hours apart for Amerie Jo Garza, remembered for her love of swimming and art, and her classmate Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, an honour student who dreamed of becoming a marine biologist.
So insistent was Amerie’s family on privacy that authorities parked a fire truck outside of Sacred Heart Catholic Church to obscure camera shots after the hearse arrived.
The girl’s casket was carried inside by six pall bearers in white shirts.
She was buried a short time later during a private graveside ceremony at a nearby cemetery. Services for Maite were held the same evening at a Uvalde funeral home.
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