LAKEWAY, Texas – Tragedy in Nice, France, reached all the way to Texas Thursday, when a Lakeway man and his son died during an attack on a Bastille Day celebration in the French seaside city.
Sean Copeland, 51, and his son, Brodie Copeland, 11, were on a family vacation, a spokeswoman for the family said. Meanwhile, their loss was felt back in the city of Lakeway.
"I will say this morning when I woke up, I was hoping it was a dream," said Coleen Serfoss, Brodie's teacher.
Brodie Copeland had just finished the school year in Serfoss's fifth-grade class. When Serfoss thinks of the 11-year-old, his joy of entertaining comes to mind, like the homemade movies he used to show the class.
"That was kind of one of my favorites," Serfoss said. "He usually, always after the weekend, would have something to share with us, and it was fun to watch. The kids enjoyed it, too."
Serfoss said Brodie was an all-around "superstar" who wanted to be an actor. Serfoss said she told the boy to remember her when he got his Academy Award.
"It's heartbreaking that that wonderful, talented child's not going to be finishing what his dreams were," Serfoss said.
Jess Davis, a family friend acting as a spokeswoman, sent out a statement from the family, saying, "We are heartbroken and in shock over the loss of Brodie Copeland, an amazing son and brother who lit up our lives, and Sean Copeland, a wonderful husband and father. They are so loved."
Serfoss said Brodie loved the baseball diamond as well as the limelight.
The Hill Country Baseball Club claimed Brodie as one of their own in a Facebook post and posted a picture of him on the French Riviera.
"Nobody deserves this type of fate," reads the post, "especially not such a wonderful family."
Davis also sent out statements from Aaron Cable, the head of player development for the club. Cable worked with Brodie one-on-one for the past two years, she said.
"You could have adult conversations with him when he was 9 years old," Cable said in the statement
Cable said Sean "would do whatever he needed to do to make sure Brodie got baseball lessons, acting lessons, and everything he ever needed or wanted. He was a good guy, who cared about his kids."
The Lake Travis Independent School District where Brodie went to school isn't planning any vigils or memorials right now. Superintendent Brad Lancaster says the district would wait and see what the family wants to do first.
In any case, Lancaster expects the entire community will step up to support them in their time of need.