Funeral For Edgewood Shooting Victim Jose Romero Unites Community In Mourning

EDGEWOOD, MD — A funeral service was held for Edgewood shooting victim Jose Hidalgo Romero on Friday, Oct. 20.

Romero of Aberdeen was one of three workers killed in the shootings at Advanced Granite Solutions on Wednesday, Oct. 18. He was 34 years old.

Hailing from El Salvador, Romero worked at the countertop company as a granite polisher, according to The Baltimore Sun. He had a giving spirit and regularly attended and donated to Church of Pentecost, where the pastor said he was as close to an angel as one could get, helping to found the church three years ago.

Romero is survived by a wife and children in El Salvador, where his family is trying to have his body sent, according to WBAL. He had been saving money to bring his family to the U.S., Romero's brother, Noah Orellana, told the TV station.

At the funeral service for Romero Friday night at the Edgewood Assembly of God, Pastor Roberto Martinez described Rombero as a "humble man" who would give the shirt off his back to someone in need.

"There's no language barriers — English speaking, Spanish speaking — we all have united together...in this time of mourning," Martinez told WJZ. "He was a blessing."

A funeral for Jose "Oscar" Hidalgo Romero was held at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, at Edgewood Assembly of God, 803 Edgewood Road, Edgewood, MD 21040.

Romero was one of five employees shot at the Emmorton Business Park at 8:58 a.m. on Wednesday, according to authorities. Two others — Bayarsaikhan Tudev, 53, of Virginia, and Enis Mrvoljak, 48, with an address in Dundalk — were also killed.

Their colleagues Enoc Villegas Sosa, 38, of North East, and Jose Roberto Flores Gillen, 37, of Edgewood, were listed in critical condition at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Police arrested the accused gunman, Radee Labeeb Prince, 37, in Delaware about 7:30 p.m. After reporting to Advanced Granite Solutions and opening fire on his co-workers at 8:58 a.m., authorities said Prince drove to Wilmington, Delaware, where he shot an acquaintance at 10:46 a.m.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to those families who lost loved ones."

The website Edgewooddonations.com has been set up to coordinate donation efforts. People can give money, goods, services, perishables or other items. In person, people who would like to donate can take items to Harford Property Services at 424 North Union Avenue in Havre de Grace. For those who would prefer to use the phone, donors may call 410-881-4646.

Pictured, Jose "Oscar" Hidalgo Romero, courtesy of Advanced Granite Solutions.