The family of Rubi Vergara, a freshman who was shot and killed at Abundant Life Christian School earlier this week, shockingly said at her funeral Saturday that hundreds of people had come to mourn her. He expressed his forgiveness to the girl who murdered him.
“We hold no grudges or forgiveness towards 15-year-old Natalie Lupnow and her family. They lost their daughter too,” Vergara's uncle, Andy Remus, told the crowd. .
“Somehow this precious child of God has gotten lost.”
Remus said the family refused to dwell on the tragedy, choosing instead to remember the 14-year-old's happy demeanor and positive attitude.
“We just need to breathe. We love to laugh at any time during the service, if there's something funny about Ruby's memory. We laughed… If this is truly a celebration of life, we should do it right.” Let's do it,'' Vergara's uncle, Andy Remus, said at the ceremony. The pinnacle of service.
“We need to come out of the fog of the past five days.”
The funeral was held at City Church, next door to the school, where classmate Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow opened fire Monday, killing Vergara and substitute teacher Erin West before turning the gun on herself.
Hundreds of people packed into the large church, and hundreds of others joined in on the livestream.
Jen, a longtime family friend, told the crowd: “She would probably be horrified if all these people came to church just for her.”
Vergara is remembered as an avid reader and a musician who played keyboard in his family's worship band.
Her loved ones say the 14-year-old also had close relationships with her pet dogs and cats.
Authorities are still working to determine the motive for Ms. Rapnow's violence, but court documents indicate she was undergoing therapy for a troubled home life.
