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Couple Killed in Orlando Planned to Marry, Now Will Have Joint Funeral

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“If it’s not a funeral, they were going to have a wedding together."

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22, and his boyfriend Christopher "Drew" Leinonen, 32, son of Christine Leinonen, were hoping to get married. Instead, they were killed in Sunday's massacre.

"They were honestly so in love. They were soul mates. You can tell by how they looked at each other," Ayram Guerrero, Juan's older sister, told TIME. "It's a little comforting that they died together."

Christmas was perfect

A photo posted by Juan Guerrero (@juang0628) on

The two men lived together and had been dating for two years. The family plans to bury them side-by-side. "I think my son wanted to do that. That's why," said Guerrero's father, Juan Ramon Guerrero, who shares his son's name. "I don't care what the people think. I don't care."

"If it's not a funeral, they were going to have a wedding together," added Guerrero's sister.

Guerrero had just finished his first year at University of Central Florida after completing two years of community college. He wanted to be a financial advisor.

Though Christine Leionen did not return TIME's request for comment, she gave a harrowing interview about her son.

Guerrero would have turned 23 in a few days. His family will still celebrate his birthday. "My wife will cook all the food he likes," his father said."He was a beautiful kid, a hard worker, friendly, sweet person. I lost part of my life."

Read the full story at TIME.

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