Funeral of teenager and math teacher killed in Georgia high school shooting – Boston News, Weather, Sports

JEFFERSON, Ga. (AP) — Funeral services for a teenager remembered for his endearing smile and a math teacher known for her dedication to her students were planned for Saturday, 10 days after both were killed by a gunman who opened fire at a Georgia high school.

Family, friends and supporters of 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn and 53-year-old teacher Christina Irimie gathered to say goodbye at separate afternoon services.

They were among four people killed by a gunman armed with an assault rifle at Apalachee High School on September 4. Another teacher and eight other students were injured.

A large crowd was expected at Schermerhorn’s memorial service, which will be held at a community center in Jefferson. A neighbor, Tommy Pickett, recalled watching him grow over the past decade from a curious boy into a teenager who always seemed to be smiling and laughing.

Irimie immigrated to the United States from her native Romania over 20 years ago. She was known for teaching children dance in addition to algebra and remained active in the Romanian expat community in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

The service for Irimie, with readings and memorials in English and Romanian, will be held at a funeral home in Buford, followed by a memorial meal at the Romanian Orthodox Church of Saints Constantine and Helena.

The funerals are another opportunity for students and faculty at the 1,900-student high school to express their grief. Other schools in Barrow County reopened last week, but there is no date yet for students to return to Apalachee High School.

A private funeral was held last weekend for Richard Aspinwall, a 39-year-old math teacher and defensive coordinator for the school’s football team. Aspinwall was killed in the attack along with Schermerhorn, Irimie and 14-year-old student Christian Angulo.

Angulo’s family has scheduled his funeral service at a church for Friday.

Authorities have charged 14-year-old Colt Gray with murder in the high school shooting. His father has also been charged with first-degree murder for providing his son with a weapon to kill children.

Authorities said the teen turned himself in to school security 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 and hid the semi-automatic rifle in his backpack.

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