Crosby Church honors life of Christian Riley Garcia, victim of Santa Fe shooting

CROSBY, Texas (FOX 26) - Christian Riley Garcia was a member of Crosby Church. It’s where he was baptized, where he attended service and on Monday night a service was held there to honor his life.

“He’s an incredible young man. He was a great kid. He loved the outdoors, people, compassionate, caring, concerning,” says Pastor Keenan Smith.

Garcia was one of 10 people that died during the shooting at Santa Fe High School Friday morning. Each person was individually honored. 

Pastor Smith says he was there when they family heard the news that their son was shot trying to save others lives. 

“I was with the mother when she was told this news that he was holding the door shut trying to give others time to get away and of course a shot came through the door and took his life,” says Smith.

A picture up on stage showed Riley and a scripture he had written on the frame of his new bedroom door at the house his family was building. 

“He wrote Psalms 46 on it, 'be still and know that I am God'. That’s not normal behavior for some 15 year olds. He Thursday night spent Thursday evening, a portion of it, reading scripture with his mother. He read some verses, she read some verses. They didn’t finish all they wanted to, but he went to school Friday morning and we know the rest of that,” says Pastor Smith.

The service was held to show his family just how much they were loved. 

“Everybody wants to do what they could to and this is something we can do and that is be here and at least be that support, that support to a family that has lost so much and paid such a price, that didn’t need to happen,” Pastor Smith says.

Pastor Smith says the family is still waiting to be reunited with their son so that they can plan his funeral.