Mass shootings are so common in the United States these days that Trey Ganem of SoulShine Industries, a custom casket maker in Edna, Texas also donated caskets to the victims of the Sutherland Springs shooting.
Source: NBC, Dallas-Fort Worth
He personally spoke with each family to gather details about their children to help craft a unique final resting place for their loved ones. Ganem met with some families at their homes; others he spoke to over the phone while they were at the funeral home.
"There were so many unique caskets that we did for these families. We did one with a dinosaur holding a flashlight and a pickle. And when the families are telling us, we're like, 'Wait did you just tell me of a flashlight, dinosaur and a pickle?' and they giggle, but for whatever reason, it was very special to them," explained Ganem.
Everything from color coordination to different symbols, animals, etc., is placed on the casket. He described another encounter with a different family.
"I asked her (a mother) if she wanted a unicorn horn coming out of the llama and she started laughing, you know, and this is something I was trying to explain to them (his team), when the parents are doing something very special for their loved one, and when they get excited, you can take a little bit of their pain and suffering away — this is what it's about. It's not just about painting a casket, it's about helping those families to start their healing process," said Ganem.
Senator Murphy has thoughts on this.
