Cristina Irimie, a 53-year-old math teacher, is among the victims of the armed attack at the high school in Georgia, USA. Several Romanians living in America indicate that the teacher is of Romanian origin and have sent several messages of condolences. The information has not yet been confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the tragic passing of our beloved teacher, wife, daughter and friend Cristina Irimie. She was a teacher at the Winder High School in Georgia where the shooting occurred on this tragic day. She dedicated her life to shaping the minds and hearts of students and the community. To honor her legacy, we are coming together to help her family during this tragic time. The funds raised will go directly to assist with funeral expenses, and any additional support the family may need as they navigate this heartbreaking loss,” reads a post on GoFundMe page.
The GoFundMe page was launched by Suwanee, Georgia-based Corneliu Caprar, who says of Cristina Irimie that she was “an outstanding member of the Romanian community in Atlanta.” So far, $1,000 has been raised. “Her life was cut short by the tragic event that occurred at her high school in Winder, Georgia. Her life was dedicated to shaping the minds and hearts of students and the community,” the said page also reads.
“I taught alongside Mrs. Irimie. She was always direct and really cared about her job (…) I send prayers and love to everyone”, reads a Facebook comment by a Romanian woman settled in the USA.
Ruxandra Tocitu, another Romanian settled in the USA, sent her condolences to the families of the victims of the armed attack at the high school in Winder, Georgia, in a post on Facebook.
“A Romanian math teacher was the first to die. May he rest in peace“, is a comment left by another Romanian on one of Ruxandra Tocitu’s posts.
“The victims of the shooting at Apalachee HS were just announced. Among them, Cristina Irimie was a coworker of mine at the Foothills Barrow-Sims campus. She was a teacher who loved helping and serving her students. She would make it a point to do right by them. She was a wonderful person to be around and will be greatly missed”, says another teacher on Facebook, Adam Aldridge.
Cristina Irimie’s name appeared in the press release sent by the Georgia authorities, announcing 4 victims following the armed attack that took place at Apalachee High School in Winder. There is no additional information about the woman on the high school’s website, other than that she is a math teacher.
Who were the victims of the attack?
According to American media, four people were killed in the armed attack at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
In addition to Cristina Irimia, it is also about Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhon, both 14-year-old students, and Richard Aspinwall, a teacher.
As USA Today reports, Aspinwall was also a math teacher and high school football coach. “He was a wonderful father and man. He loved his two little girls and he loved his wife. He happened to love football and he was respected in that field,” described the team’s head coach, Mike Hancock.
Mason Schermerhon was a young man suffering from autism, described by friends and family as a soulful child who preferred to read, tell jokes, play video games and visit Disney World, according to overseas media.
Christian Angulo is described as a “quiet, sweet” young man who cared about those close to him, according to his sister’s GoFundMe page, through which the family wants to raise funds for his funeral.
14yo gunman on the authorities’ radar
Colt Gray, 14, was the one who opened fire at the Georgia high school, killing four people and injuring nine others. He was in the attention of the US authorities after, in 2023, they received anonymous tips about threats that the boy would have posted online.
Sheriff Jud Smith described the attack as “pure evil” and said officers arrived within minutes of receiving the 911 calls at 10:20 a.m. local time (14:20 GMT).
Two officers assigned to the school “immediately apprehended the suspect,” the sheriff said, adding that the boy “immediately surrendered.” “He fired at least 10 times.” Students described scenes of chaos after alerts came in about an attacker on campus.
Lyela Sayarath, who was in the attacker’s class, told CNN that he left the room at the start of an algebra class. He returned and knocked on the door, which had locked automatically, but another student refused to let him in after noticing he had a gun, the girl said. Lyela told CNN that the gunman then went into the next classroom where he started shooting.