Funeral held for bus shooting victim

Police: Jordyn Alexander Howe shot, killed Lourdes Guzman

MIAMI ā€“ A funeral was held for the 13-year-old girl who was shot and killed while on-board a school bus last Tuesday.

The funeral for Lourdes Guzman was held at Woodlawn Funeral Home and Cemetery South at 11655 SW 117 Avenue in Miami on Monday afternoon.

"It's immense. I can't even describe the pain that one feels to lose your first-born," said Waldemar Arent, a relative. "She was like the sunshine in her mom's world."

"It's been really, really hard, and I've been crying a lot but I know that I have to keep going forward and I can't just stop," said Novlia Luna, a classmate of Guzman.

Relatives said Guzman's mother, Ady DeJesus, chose her daughter's grave carefully.

"There is an officer to her top left and there is another officer to her bottom right," said a relative.

Jordyn Alexander Howe, 15, is charged with manslaughter and and carrying a concealed firearm in connection with the shooting death of Guzman.

Police said Howe was showing the gun to someone else on the bus when it went off. Guzman died after she was taken to Miami Children's Hospital. Investigators believe the shooting was accidental.

Yoslexi Ponce, the driver of the bus, appeared distraught when he spoke with Local 10. He said he tried to save Guzman after the shooting.

"Of course. That goes without saying," Ponce told Local 10's Sasha Andrade in Spanish.

Ponce said he picked up Guzman for school every day. On Monday, he drove the family to the girl's funeral.

The service lasted about 15 minutes and was followed by the burial. A handful of white doves were released at the end of the two services.

The family is asking that donations to help cover the funeral costs be made to Marta DeJesus, account number 4272755071 at TD Bank.