A Texas woman is the latest American victim to be identified as among those killed in last week’s bomb blasts in Belgium.
Gail Minglana Martinez, 41, was traveling with her four children and her husband, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, when explosions ripped through the Brussels airport March 22. The kids and her husband, Kato Martinez, remain hospitalized.
Gail Martinez grew up in Corpus Christi, according to her local congressman, Blake Farenthold.
“I ask that everyone offer their prayers and support to the Martinez family as they work through the pain and suffering that this horrific event has caused, and respect their privacy at this time,” Farenthold said in a statement Wednesday. “In our battle against ISIS, we must focus on making sure innocent people are not harmed, while the strategy of ISIS is to kill innocent people.”
The family lived in the Netherlands, where Kato Martinez was assigned to Joint Force Command Brunssum, according to the Air Force Times.
"Gail was special to so many people,” her brother told the outlet in a statement. “She blessed people's lives and made this world a better place."
Kato is reportedly in the intensive care unit, while the children suffered burns in the attack, which, along with a bomb blast in the Brussels’ metro system, left 35 people dead and hundreds injured.
Kato and Gail Martinez celebrated 21 years as a couple in August, she wrote on her Facebook page, which features photos of family.
Another American couple, Justin and Stephanie Shults, were also killed in the terror attack. A fourth American was killed but has not been publicly identified.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the twin bombings, just months after attacking Paris.
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