On September 28th, a 14-year-old open fired on a playground at Townville Elementary School near Greenville, South Carolina. A few children and a teacher sustained injuries during the school shooting, but– initially– there were no reported fatalities; only one child was left in critical condition. This past weekend, after three days on life support, that child– 6-year-old Jacob Hall– succumbed to his injuries and died in the hospital .
Videos by InspireMore
On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of mourners filled the pews of Oakdale Baptist Church in Townville, South Carolina to mourn and remember young Jacob. And it was a funeral no one will soon forget.
Jacob’s mother, Renae Hall, wanted to do something special to honor her son’s memory. Jacob loved superheroes and dreamed of saving people from danger. So, she asked that funeral guests come in superhero attire in celebration of his life. Renae chose a Robin costume for herself while Jacob was dressed as Batman in his casket.
Washington Post
“I don’t want suits and ties and all that,” Renae told FOX Carolina. “There will be a lot of children there and I don’t want it to be scary for them.”
CNN
Washington Post
“Jacob taught me to love God. He was not afraid to go home to God.” added Renae. She also says she has already forgiven the boy that killed his son, who is in police custody.
Washington Post
Every detail of the incredible funeral speaks to the love Jacob’s family and community has for him.
The pallbearers– Jacob’s uncles and brothers– wore superhero costumes as well, and there was even a 4-foot-tall balloon sculpture of a Ninja Turtle, Jacob’s favorite.
Washington Post
In the video below, the speaker who eulogized Jacob gave his emotional speech in a full Batman costume. “He knew when he told his parents every day– just about– that he was going to be famous one day. So I can imagine that when he got to the other side he probably felt a little bit cheated for a second, and made a deal with God. He said ‘I want to coordinate the biggest, hope-filled superhero bash this planet has ever seen.’… This whole day is about Jacob. Today, I firmly believe that he’s really been getting a kick out of all this.”
Watch the rest of his incredible speech below.
Share this family’s message of love and hope today.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.
