Zowie Sanders, gives a fist bump to John Suber, left, of Greenville, dressed as Superman, with her sister Lindsey Sanders, center, and their mother Brooke Starks, right, of Townville, during a wake service... (Associated Press) 
 
 Zowie Sanders, gives a fist bump to John Suber, left, of Greenville, dressed as Superman, with her sister Lindsey Sanders, center, and their mother Brooke Starks, right, of Townville, during a wake service for Jacob Hall at Oakdale Baptist Church in Townville, S.C., Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2016. Jacob, a... (Associated Press) 
 
 TOWNVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A 6-year-old boy who died after a teen gunman opened fire at his South Carolina elementary school was dressed as Batman in his small blue casket on Wednesday. 
 
 Jacob Hall's family encouraged mourners at his funeral to dress as superheroes as well. 
 
 "We want to honor Jacob, celebrate Jacob, in a way he would love," his great-aunt, Rebecca Hunnicutt, told the Anderson Independent-Mail (http://bit.ly/2dPTSqO). 
 
 Jacob died from a bullet that struck the main artery in his thigh after a 14-year-old boy opened fire at Townville Elementary School. Authorities say the boy killed his own father and then drove a pickup truck to the school, crashing into a playground fence. A classmate and a first-grade teacher also were struck by bullets, and were treated and released from a hospital. 
 
 Jacob had told his family he wanted to be a preacher one day, the Rev. Tim Marcengill told a crowd that packed the pews at the family's Oakdale Baptist Church. "He's preaching today," Marcengill said. 
 
 "Jacob Lee hall, Townville's very own superhero, was born into our world, given to us as a gift and through those 6 years up until the very last moment of his life with us, God was and still is today accomplishing his purpose with Jacob," the reverend said. 
 
 A fellow 6-year-old, Lily Gunby, sat in the pews wearing a pink and black Superman shirt. She said Jacob "was really sweet," and "knew a lot about Jesus." 
 
 Lily's uncle Derek Gunby says Jacob was "the cutest thing ever" at the church's Bible school. 
 
 John Buckland drove his Batmobile from West Virginia to attend the funeral. Wearing full Batman garb, he gave the kids posters saying "Tough things make me stronger." 
 
 "We're here to celebrate," Buckland said. "Take what we've learned from Jacob; let it make you a better husband, better father ... better everything." 
 
 "Keep an eye on each other. Care about each other, love each other. If someone's in trouble, reach out and give them the help they need, because Jacob would," he added. 
 
 Townville Elementary school teachers also attended, wearing handmade blue capes with a Ninja Turtle face and Jacob's name on the back. Jacob's casket was decorated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle stickers, and figurines of Ninja Turtles and Captain American were in a floral spray on top. 
 
 The 14-year-old faces two murder charges in the deaths of his father and Jacob. He also is charged with three counts of attempted murder, as well as five counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. 
 
 District Superintendent Joanne Avery announced a district-wide moment of silence at 1:42 p.m. Wednesday to mark one week since the shooting. Supporters also released hundreds of balloons Sunday in his honor, and people also crowded into the church Tuesday evening for Jacob's visitation. 
 
 Students won't return to Townville Elementary until Thursday. 
 
 But the district's other five schools planned to honor Jacob by participating in Superhero Day. All employees and students were invited to come to school in costume, and anyone wanting to attend the funeral would be excused, Avery said. 
 
 According to a Facebook page created for Superhero Day, schools across the state planned to participate. But schools in central and coastal South Carolina were closed for the rest of the week because of the approach of Hurricane Matthew. 
 
 Family members said Jacob told them he was out saving Townville as others slept. 
 
 "He loved anything to do with goodness," Jacob's mother, Renae Hall, told WYFF (http://bit.ly/2drFQvL). "He loved anything to do with being able to help somebody. That's why I say Jacob was going to make a difference and he still is going to make a difference." ||||| The mother of Jacob Hall said the 6-year-old will have a funeral service that is a fitting send off for her superhero son. 
 
 Jacob was wounded during a shooting on Sept. 28 at Townville Elementary School. After three days on life support, he passed away on Saturday. 
 
 Renae Hall met with reporters outside the Greenville Memorial Hospital on Saturday to speak about her son, who she said “wanted to save everybody,” just like the superheroes he loved. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were his favorite heroes. 
 
 As the grieving mother plans to lay her son to rest, she said the funeral service for the young boy wouldn’t be any ordinary service. 
 
 “I don’t want suits and ties and all that,” Hall said. “There will be a lot of children there and I don’t want it to be scary for them. Jacob will be dressed in his superhero costume.” 
 
 Hall said the pallbearers, Jacob’s uncles and brothers, would also be dressed as superheroes, and she invited anyone who wants to say goodbye to Jacob to attend and wear their superhero costumes or t-shirts. 
 
 She’s certain that Jacob has a new super power: flying with the angels. 
 
 “Jacob loved God,” She said. “Jacob taught me to love God. He was not afraid to go home to God.” 
 
 Hall is holding strong to her faith as she struggles to let Jacob go. She’s also offering forgiveness to the teen accused in the shooting, something she said Jacob would have wanted. 
 
 “No matter what you and your family go through… Always be able to forgive because you're not guaranteed tomorrow, no matter how angry or hurt you are,” Hall said. 
 
 The family said visitation will be held Tuesday evening from 5 to 9 p.m. at Oakdale Baptist Church. 
 
 The funeral service will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m., also at Oakdale Baptist Church. The service is open to the public. 
 
 Batman and a special Batmobile will be traveling from West Virginia to be a part of the funeral service. Read more here. 
 
 The Townville community came together and participated in a balloon release in Jacob's memory on Sunday evening, following a special service at Oakdale Baptist Church. Read more. 
 
 More: Townville Elementary shooting victim Jacob Hall passes away 
 
 Copyright 2016 FOX Carolina (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved. ||||| Story highlights Jacon Hall died after being shot last week at Townville Elementary School in South Carolina 
 
 His family decided to have superhero-themed memorial services 
 
 (CNN) Superheroes of various affiliations filled the pews of Oakdale Baptist Church in Townville, South Carolina, on Tuesday afternoon. 
 
 Boys and girls dressed as Batman, Superman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sat among adults and teenagers wearing capes and logo T-shirts. 
 
 Amid the festive atmosphere, a coffin resting in front of the altar, surrounded by pictures of a smiling boy, was a somber reminder of the reason for the gathering. 
 
 Mourners had come to remember 6-year-old Jacob Hall, who died after being shot last week at school. 
 
 Zowie Sanders gives a fist bump to John Suber of Greenville, dressed as Superman, at Tuesday's visitation. 
 
 Jacob was shot on September 28 when a 14-year-old boy opened fire at the playground at Townville Elementary School, southwest of Greenville. After three days on life support, he passed away on Saturday. His death led prosecutors to upgrade an attempted murder charge to murder against the accused shooter, who is not being identified because of his age. 
 
 Read More
– No sadder news emerged in the aftermath of the Townville school shooting last month than the death of 6-year-old Jacob Hall. But though his family and friends lost the South Carolina first-grader much sooner than they should have, they didn't lose his spirit—which is why a variety of superheroes flooded Oakdale Baptist Church Tuesday to mourn Jacob and celebrate his life, CNN reports. The Tuesday visitation was the prelude to Jacob's Wednesday funeral, where his mother, Renae Hall, said she wanted everyone to pay tribute to her son in the way he would've wanted it. "I don't want suits and ties and all that," she told reporters Saturday, per Fox Carolina. "There will be a lot of children there and I don't want it to be scary for them." The AP notes Jacob was dressed as Batman in his tiny blue casket during Wednesday's service. The superhero theme was also dominant at Tuesday's visitation, which CNN notes more resembled a child's birthday party than a memorial service: There were balloons, flowers filled with stuffed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and family members in their own superhero attire greeting visitors in front of Jacob's coffin, which the AP notes was adorned with Ninja Turtle stickers. One man even drove his Batmobile from West Virginia to pay his respects at the funeral. "Jacob Lee Hall, Townville's very own superhero, was … given to us as a gift, and through those six years up until the very last moment of his life with us, God was and still is today accomplishing his purpose with Jacob," said the reverend who spoke to the gathered well-wishers Wednesday.