Jack Pinto, the 6-year-old who was killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was laid to rest this week with a heartbreaking letter from his best friend.
Pinto’s funeral was held Monday in Newtown, and after the service USA Today reporter Yamiche Alcindor tweeted a photo of a letter Jack’s best friend John wrote to him. The handwritten letter had a picture tacked on of the boys smiling together and another of them walking with their arms around each other.
The letter read:
Jack, You are my best friend. We had fun together. I will miss you. I will talk to you in my prayers. I love you Jack. Love, John
Jack Pinto’s funeral drew a number of children, many as young as five, The Mercury rep orted . His wrestling teammates were all there, wearing their gray Newtown t-shirts.
The friends of Jack Pinto and the other 19 children killed in the Connecticut school shooting likely have a difficult road ahead, The Huffington Post noted .
“They’re likely to have difficulty concentrating, difficulty with trust, difficulty with dealing with the losses they’ve incurred … Many of these kids will never be the same kids,” said Russell T. Jones, a clinical psychologist and psychology professor at Virginia Tech. He added that strong community support will help their recovery.
Pinto also received another honor just two days after the shooting. New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz found out that Pinto was a big fan, so he wrote a message on his cleats. Later, Cruz traveled to Newtown to visit Pinto’s family.
Jack Pinto was buried in his Victor Cruz jersey.