Teacher killed in Georgia school shooting was celebrating her birthday with students

Cristina Irimie, a beloved math teacher at Apalachee High School, was tragically one of the victims in a mass shooting that claimed four lives.

On the day of her death, Irimie, who had just turned 53 in August, was celebrating her birthday with her students by bringing cake and pizza to class.

A close friend, Corneliu Caprar, said that Irimie and her husband couldn’t have children, so she treated her students as her own.

Irimie’s passion for teaching went beyond just a profession; it was her calling. Friends described her as a vibrant person known for her radiant smile and deep dedication to her students.

“The first thing you see is her big smile,” said Father Nicolae Clempus, pastor of St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church in Dacula, where Irimie was a member. He shared that her husband, heartbroken by the loss, is grieving privately.

“They were together all the time, having a very nice and beautiful family life,” the priest added.

Clempus reflected on Irimie’s passing, saying, “There’s no logic in this kind of tragedy,” but added that her legacy would live on in the hearts of those who knew her.

Another victim of the tragedy, teacher Richard Aspinwall, died a hero. According to a family friend, Aspinwall stepped out of his classroom to calm the commotion and was fatally shot.

In a desperate attempt to save him, some of his students tore off their shirts to stop the bleeding. “His students pulled Aspinwall back into the classroom and used their own shirts to try to stop the bleeding,” family friend Julie Woodson said.

TOP STORIES

• Dad Charged With Murder After Teen Son Fatally Shot Four People with AR-15 Style Riffle He Gifted Him for Christmas
• Vicious Pit Bull Mauled Toddler to Death Inside Her Family Home
• Mother of 4 Ambushes Another Mother of 4 After Bar Fight

Aspinwall’s family wanted the world to know that he died heroically, trying to protect his students.