Texas artist donating customized caskets for Uvalde victims
A Texas artist is donating customized caskets for victims of last week’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Trey Ganem, the owner of custom casket company SoulShine Industries, pivoted to helping the victims’ families shortly after the shooting. The massacre left 19 children and two teachers dead, galvanizing the nation and reigniting a fight over gun regulations.
“I’m on my way to help families in this tragic time,” a post on the company’s Facebook page reads that was published just hours after the shooting.
“I was asked to help with the caskets and talk with families. This is something no family should ever have to deal with. My love and emotions are already there,” the post read.
Ganem designed custom caskets for 19 of the victims in just three days, hiring a set of drivers to quickly deliver the caskets from Georgia, NewsNation reported. The caskets arrived at the company’s facility within two days of Ganem taking on the task, according to the company’s Facebook page.
Victims’ funerals in Uvalde are set to begin this week.
“We are rocking and rolling with the help of so many!!” the company wrote. “Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to help us and to help the families of Uvalde!”
Ganem’s company is based out of Edna, Texas — located almost 200 miles from Uvalde.
“We’re creating the last thing that the parents can ever do for their child,” Ganem told NewsNation. “And we’re making it with passion and purpose. We put all of our heart and soul into this thing.”
Tributes have been pouring in as the small Texas town and the nation continue to grieve the loss from the deadliest school shooting in the country since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., in 2012.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited Uvalde on Sunday and were met by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and his wife, Cecilia Abbott. They visited a memorial constructed outside Robb Elementary School, where the Bidens placed a bouquet of flowers and held hands with the elementary school’s superintendent and principal.
The president and first lady also met with families of the victims and survivors of the Uvalde mass shooting, later gathering with first responders for a private meeting. The Bidens also attended mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde.
Leading news organizations in Texas observed 21 minutes of silence on social media on Tuesday to honor the 21 lives lost in Uvalde.
Six survivors of the shooting remain in the hospital as of Monday.
Source: TEST FEED1
