Funeral for Uvalde girl who dreamed of going to art school

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Mourners on Sunday were remembering a girl who was an aspiring artist, whose joy at reaching the double-digit age of 10 charmed broken hearts around the world.

Alithia Ramirez was among the 19 children who, along with their two teachers, died on May 24 when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Alithia’s funeral was set for Sunday afternoon at First Baptist Church. Funerals will continue into mid-June.

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Alithia Ramirez

Ten-year-old Alithia Ramirez was a loving and caring girl who loved to draw.

Her obituary described her as smart and an “extremely loving young lady who dreamt of attending Art School in Paris. She was very reliable, always wanted to take care of everyone, and was a role model to her siblings.”

Alithia’s parents met with President Joe Biden during his visit to Uvalde on May 29, KENS-TV reported. They said Biden asked if he could have one of her drawings to hang in the White House.

Ryan Ramirez said Biden told the parents, ’Whenever we hang it up, we are going to send you a picture of where it is hanging, and you are free to see it anytime.”

Ryan Ramirez rushed to Robb Elementary when he heard about the shooting. He told KTRK-TV he simply wanted to find his daughter and take her home.

After her death, a photo was shown around the world of Alithia, smiling broadly as she wore a tie-dye T-shirt that read: “Out of single digits” and “I’m 10.” Her birthday was April 28.

Her father later posted that same photo on Facebook with no words, but with Alithia wearing angel wings.

“This is a parent’s nightmare. This is the worst of the worst,” Ryan Ramirez told KENS-TV on Wednesday.

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More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting