Rafael “Ralphie” Farias’ heart carries many images of his son, Mateus:
The smiling child who ran to him every morning for a hug. The boy who once blurted out that he was going to play football because he was “too good for basketball”. The 9-year-old boy was called “my favorite” by teachers at Hoover Elementary School.
But now there is another image – a child with curly brown hair in his mother’s arms, killed on Wednesday during a shooting in Orange, California.
As the police search for a reason and family members struggle with the pain, Farias said he will never understand why the sniper aimed at a child.
“I’m so shocked. I never met this person, man,” said Farias, crying. “Innocent people did not deserve to die. I am here in my pain … He was my only child, my life.”
Matthew Farias was among the four people killed within Unified Homes, a mobile home broker. The other dead were identified by the Orange Police Department as Luis Tovar, 50; Letícia Solis Guzman, 58; and Jenevieve Raygoza, 28. Tovar was the owner of the company.
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Matthew’s mother, Unified Homes employee Blanca Tamayo, was injured but survived. Farias said he was cradling their son when the two were shot.
“My angel, he saved his mother from dying,” added Farias. “He took the bullets for her.”
The suspect, a 44-year-old truck company owner, was injured by police during a gunfight at the company and now faces four counts of murder, as well as three of attempted murder.
Authorities said the attacker locked the gates outside the commercial building to prevent the victims from escaping. Police did not reveal the reason for the violence, but said they believed the shooter had some connection to the business and that the attack was not random.
Rafael Farias said his son was always cheerful, a leader in sports and in the classroom. In a Facebook post, he wrote: “RIP my adorable son. I miss you so much. I will fight hard for JUSTICE for your son !!”
The families of the dead shared other messages on social media and launched the GoFundMe pages for donations.
“My heart is heavy as I try to understand and accept what happened,” wrote Thalia Tovar, daughter of the owner of Unified Homes. “Please keep all of us affected in your prayers, including our beloved (Tamayo) who is still fighting for her life in critical condition.”
Another GoFundMe page, on behalf of the Raygoza family, notes that “Gen” left two young children, in addition to her husband, Armando Raygoza.
“Losing your mother at 4 and 8 years old is indescribable and losing her in this senseless way will never be a closed story for these wonderful boys”, wrote brother-in-law Alberto Raygoza.
He added that children love the Easter egg hunt, adding, “We will be giving the boys the Easter that Gen planned for them as a way to honor her life.”
As of Saturday afternoon, the accounts had received more than 1,750 contributions, totaling almost $ 100,000.
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: Orange, California, shooting takes a 9 year old boy from his father