WINDER, Ga. — Hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of 14-year-old Christian Angulo, who was one of four people killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School earlier this month.
Angulo was among four people who died in the tragedy on Sept. 4.
The turnout for the service at Saint Matthew Catholic Church in Winder was so large that the parking lot overflowed.
Inside the church, every seat was filled with loved ones, friends, and classmates. Many in the community who had never met Christian also came to mourn the loss.
Angel Gomez, a family friend who went to school with Christian’s sister, shared his sorrow following the service.
“It’s hard, it’s really hard. But at the end of the day, we’ve all got to come together and figure out a solution with the gun violence. It has to stop. It has to,” Gomez said.
The priest at the church addressed the events of Sept. 4, expressing how they left the community shaken.
Christian and another 14-year-old student were shot to death at Apalachee High School. Two teachers were also killed, and several others were injured.
As the hearse led the long procession, words from the funeral homily echoed among the hundreds of mourners.
“Our focus is on the beams of love that shone from Christian’s all-too-short life,” the priest said.
Gomez, who moved to the area with his family from Los Angeles to escape violence, wore a T-shirt bearing Christian’s face with the words, “Our angel in heaven.”
The sanctuary of the church, which can hold 525 people, was filled beyond capacity, with an overflow room holding another 100 people.
All were there to show their love for Christian.