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It was hard for many who knew the young girl to keep back the tears.

The white casket surrounded with bright pink flowers and smiling images of Tiffany Galvan was the bittersweet reminder of her tragic death.

The 17-year-old Los Fresnos High School student was brutally stabbed to death.

Her 16-year-old football player from Lopez High School remains in custody in the case.

During Galvan’s funeral, some kept to themselves while others looked for comfort from each other and bonded through their pain.

But no matter how they grieved it was apparent that Galvan was loved by many.

Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) was among those attending the funeral.

Josie Corkill spoke to Action 4 News about Galvan.

"She was a really good person, a good spirited person and she was a good friend to everybody,” Corkill said. “She treated everybody the same and anyone that she saw crying in the hallways or she knew was down she'd go up to them and do anything to make them feel better.”

Lauren Holmes agreed.

“If they ever had a problem, she was like don’t worry I'll pray or you I'll pray for you,” Holmes said.

Still in disbelief Galvan's friends say they cannot explain why she was killed in such a brutal way.

Cameron County Sheriff’s Department deputies found Galvan’s body in Benavides Park off South Browne Avenue outside Brownsville just two days after her 17th birthday.

Police have not revealed a motive for the crime but say the girl was stabbed at least 20 times while some sources say it was as many as 40 times.

Galvan and the 16-year-old suspect met through a social networking website.

Yaritza Castañeda said teens need to be careful.

"For the teenagers that are on the Internet, I don't recommend dating over the Internet because you don’t know the people or person or how they can act with their surroundings or how they can like go through something whenever they are upset,” Castañeda said.

Friends said Galvan reached out to them for support and advice when she had relationship problems but they say they never expected things to turn out this way.

Galvan’s father Florentino Galvan, spoke to Action 4 News off-camera.

The grieving father encourages parents to be extra vigilant over their children and be informed about their friends, who they date and where they are at all times.