Apalachee school shooting: Cristina Irimie brought cake, pizza for her students on the day she died

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — This weekend, communities across Winder are honoring the13 people shot during the Apalachee High School attack in different ways.

The memorial around the school’s flagpole grew Saturday, and families showed up to drop off flowers and pay respects throughout the day and night.

Some chose to visit a second memorial growing near the Winder City Pavilion.

Mason Schermerhorn’s neighbors gathered for a private vigil Saturday evening.

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Cristina Irimie’s friends said they plan to wear traditional Romanian clothing to church Sunday. She was a dance teacher there.

“She was a proud Romanian, and then a proud Romanian American,” said Gabrielle Buth.

Buth said when Irimie moved here from Romania in 1996, she was a professional folkloric dancer.

She ended up landing a job as an accountant. In 2013, she went to the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega Campus. By 2014, she was a math teacher.

“She was very smart. God, she was brilliant, " said Buth.

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Irimie considered her students her children. The night before she died, Buth said Irimie baked a cake and brought it to the classroom the next day with pizza. She wanted to celebrate her birthday with the kids.

“And she never came home,” said Buth.

Irimie’s husband was not ready to talk publicly this weekend.

“He said, ‘The only thing I want is if someone can bring her back to me’,” said Buth.

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Friends are hoping to raise money to ease his financial burden during the grieving process.

Buth said she considered Irimie family, like an aunt.

“Cristina was a woman with a big heart and a good soul,” said Buth. “She was a real warrior, but not with a sword, but her soul.”

Irimie taught math alongside Coach Ricky Aspinwall.

Loved ones shared his legacy with Channel 2 Action News on Thursday.

“He was a girl dad, and he loved being a girl dad,” said Coach Mike Hancock.

Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn are the two students who died.

Schermerhorn’s neighbors held a private vigil in his honor Saturday evening.

They wore red, his favorite color.

One of the students who survived the shooting, Melany Garcia, was able to return home from the hospital Saturday, according to her mother.

At least one other remains hospitalized. His name is David Phenix. He is a teacher. Family said two bullets hit him.

Coach reflects on legacy of teachers killed in school shooting

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