RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) -- Celebrations of life began this weekend for five victims of a mass shooting in Raleigh last week. On Saturday, loved ones said goodbye to Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres.
“Thursday, October 13, 2022 is by far the hardest day of my life,” Jasmin Torres, the wife of Officer Torres, said.
As Torres was laid to rest on Saturday, hundreds of law enforcement officers from across North Carolina came to pay their respects. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said Torres was more than a coworker to his fellow officers, and more like a brother.
“In between calls, when he had downtime, he would phone classmates on other squads just to check in on them, always making sure that they and their families were okay,” Chief Patterson said.
But even without the uniform, Torres was described as a family man, someone who always wanted to help others.
“He cared deeply about those around him, and pushed everyone he touched to do their best,” Chief Patterson said.
Torres’s wife spoke of their time together.
“We loved each other with towns and cities between us,” said Jasmin.
She also spoke of his calling to serve his country and community.
“You wanted something to be proud of, you wanted to be able to provide for me and a future family, you joined the Marine Corps,” she said.
The fallen officer’s wife said their lives changed when they became parents.
“I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to be a mommy, you were the best daddy,” Jasmin said.
It was an emotional goodbye, with one final message to the officer.
“I love you, I really love you, we’ll get through this,” his wife said.
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