Uvalde, Texas, school shooting: Metro Atlanta company makes caskets for child victims
Cherokee Casket Company makes caskets for children killed in Uvalde, Texas elementary school shooting
A Metro Atlanta casket company is said to have provided 17 of the 19 child caskets to be used for each child who fell short to gun violence in the Uvalde, Texas elementary school shooting. The caskets will be sent to an artist in Texas who will customize each one.
GRIFFIN, Ga. - Families of the 21 people killed in the Uvalde, Texas, mass shooting are working to bury their loved ones.
Funerals began this week for the 19 kids and two adults murdered when a gunman opened fire inside an elementary school.
Nearly all the caskets used for the kids killed came from a metro Atlanta company.
As a community comes together to bury their dead, those inside the Cherokee Casket Company in Griffin are working to make sure those precious kids are buried with dignity.
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"We wish we didn’t have to make these, but we have to do it and take pride and do something nice. We believe our children deserve a nice casket if not nicer than adults," Michael Mims said.
Michael Mims is the president and owner and says 17 caskets were sent to Texas artist Trey Ganem to customize for the families.
"Last Wednesday we found out how many sizes and caskets were needed. We started working overtime and in 20 hours time period we got all the caskets together packaged and loaded onto a tractor trailer, and they were heading over to Texas," Mims said.
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The casket company has been in business since 1941, shipping out thousands of small caskets a year all over the world.
Mims says the caskets sent to the Texas artist were white, so they could be customized for each child killed.
"He interviews the family and finds out what the family and child like. Much like what a funeral professional would do," Mims said.
Mims says the Texas artist then uniquely designs the casket according to the child’s personality and favorite things.
Before they are shipped out the caskets are made with love.
"It was hard at first. It’s a lot harder when you know the story behind it like in this. It gets emotional. If anyone is going to do it I want it to be me because I know I’m going to put everything I have into this," a worker named Kim said.
Kim has worked lining the insides of the caskets for five years.
She went into overdrive to make sure those in Uvalde had what they needed promptly.
"It’s the worst thing a parent can do is to lose a child, I have one of my own who's 10 years old, but we knew we had to push through and do it for the families," Kim said.
As a nation unites together in tragedy those working at this company are doing their part to bring dignity and respect to the littlest ones killed.
"I promise you I put 100% into every single casket. This is a place where you lay your baby and I want them to know they are safe for eternity," Kim said.