WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — After their 8-month-old son was tragically killed by a stray bullet during a shooting at WestFest Sunday night, the young victim's family is hoping to lay him to rest in their home country of Guatemala.
The infant was one of three people shot and killed at the West Valley City carnival's final night. Police say the infant and an unrelated 41-year-old victim were uninvolved bystanders, and a deceased 18-year-old was the intended target of the shooting.
The baby's family said his name was Anderson Garcia Cabrera Jr.
His father, Anderson Garcia, says it's a Father's Day he will never forget — for all the wrong reasons.
"I never [thought] of going to the fair because I didn't even know the fair was going to be there. I was going to the Walmart and my baby started crying... I looked to my right side and I see the fair," he recalled in an interview with FOX 13 News. "All I wanted was for my babies to be happy there, to have fun. "
Garcia wrote in a GoFundMe that the boy had a twin brother.
"[W]hat was meant to be a joyful Father’s Day celebration ... became the most heartbreaking night of our lives," the GoFundMe reads. "We are devastated and struggling to process this unimaginable loss."
Garcia says his family wants to take the young boy's body to Guatemala "so he can rest in peace surrounded by our family and loved ones."
"He was a happy baby. I've never seen one like him," he said. "What I want: he goes where I come from."
The GoFundMe campaign can be found HERE.
"Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us cover the costs of transporting our baby home and giving him the proper burial he deserves," the page reads. "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion, prayers, and support."
