Current:Home > ScamsIn Romania, she heard church bells. They tolled for her child, slain in GA school shooting -VitalWealth Strategies
In Romania, she heard church bells. They tolled for her child, slain in GA school shooting
View
Date:2025-04-12 03:18:13
WINDER, Georgia − Cristina Irimie's mother was at home in her tiny Romanian village last week when she heard church bells tolling, a sign that a member of the community had died.
The bells, she soon learned, were in honor of her own daughter, a math teacher at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgoa. Cristina Irimie was gunned down Wednesday − one of four people killed in last week's shooting for which a 14-year-old faces murder changes.
Only days before, Cristina's mother, Anuta, had left her daughter after a family visit to Georgia and the Atlanta area's thriving Romanian Orthodox community. Now, an ocean away, church bells in Apoldu de Jos, her hamlet of 1,100 people, tolled with tragedy.
She "heard the bell and asked her son, 'Oh, maybe somebody died,'" George Acsente, Irimie's pastor at Saints Constantine and Helen Romanian Orthodox Church in Lilburn, Georgia, told USA TODAY. It was then that her son, the victim’s brother, broke down and shared the terrible news.
More:Georgia's Romanian community mourns teacher killed in Apalachee shooting
Two students and two teachers were slain in the Wednesday shooting at Apalachee High. Student Colt Gray, 14, has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder. His father, Colin Gray, is also charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children for allowing his son to have access to the AR-14-style rifle used in the slaughter.
Georgia his home to more than 8,000 members of the Romanian diaspora, with a close knit community located northeast of Atlanta. It's here and Christina Irimie and her husband Dorin participated in cultural and church activities, keeping strong the link between suburban Georgia and her roots in the Transylvania region.
More:'Scared everywhere': Apalachee survivors grapple with school shooting's toll
More:Shackled before grieving relatives, father, son face judge in Georgia school shooting
Dorin Irimie was struggling with the violent loss of his wife. "He's very angry," Acsente said. "He keeps saying, 'They took my baby away.'"
"I try to calm him down," the pastor added. "I stayed probably until one o'clock in the morning with him."
The couple first emigrated to the U.S. 23 years ago, trading the shadows of the Carpathian Mountains for Interstate 75 and a booming Georgia economy. Cristina Irimie soon became a familiar face, volunteering generous hours to teach the kids traditional Romanian dances or tutor them in math. She also joined other women in the church kitchen to prepare traditional foods, her friend Nicolae Clempus said. For twice-yearly Romanian festivals, she helped the children prepare a dance showcase.
Dorin Irimie may attend another service for Irimie scheduled for Saturday at the church, Acsente said, but "I have no idea how he's going to handle it."
veryGood! (37941)
Related
- Jamaica's Kishane Thompson more motivated after thrilling 100m finish against Noah Lyles
- LGBTQ advocates say Mormon church’s new transgender policies marginalize trans members
- Inside the Shocking Sicily Yacht Tragedy: 7 People Dead After Rare Luxury Boat Disaster
- The Climate Movement Rushes to Embrace Kamala Harris
- Olympic men's basketball bracket: Results of the 5x5 tournament
- Christine Quinn Seemingly Shades Ex Christian Dumontet With Scathing Message Amid Divorce
- ESPN College Gameday: Pat McAfee pounds beers as crew starts season in Ireland
- NASA astronauts who will spend extra months at the space station are veteran Navy pilots
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Honolulu struggles to find a remedy for abandoned homes taken over by squatters
Ranking
- USA women's basketball live updates at Olympics: Start time vs Nigeria, how to watch
- Christine Quinn Seemingly Shades Ex Christian Dumontet With Scathing Message Amid Divorce
- Jordan Montgomery slams Boras' negotiations: 'Kind of butchered it'
- NASA astronauts who will spend extra months at the space station are veteran Navy pilots
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Federal lawsuit challenges mask ban in suburban New York county, claims law is discriminatory
- TikTok Organization Pro Emilie Kiser’s Top Tips & Must-Have Products for a Clean, Organized Life
- New Orleans is finally paying millions of dollars in decades-old legal judgments
Recommendation
North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
Rate cuts on horizon: Jerome Powell says 'time has come' to lower interest rates
A rare but deadly mosquito virus infection has Massachusetts towns urging vigilance
North Carolina court says speedway can sue top health official over COVID-19 closure
'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
Union rep says West Virginia governor late on paying worker health insurance bills, despite denials
Rate cuts on horizon: Jerome Powell says 'time has come' to lower interest rates
Judge declines to order New York to include ‘abortion’ in description of ballot measure