‘My heart and soul broken’: Parents of 8-month-old boy fatally shot at Utah community festival grieve ‘unimaginable loss’

Anderson Garcia told KSTU-TV that taking his family to the local WestFest celebration Sunday night was not in his plans.

“I didn’t even know the fair was going to be there,” Garcia recounted to the station about the annual four-day event, which took place at Centennial Park in West Valley City, Utah. “I was going to the Walmart, and my baby started crying. … I looked to my right side, and I see the fair. All I wanted was for my babies to be happy there, to have fun.”

‘For three years, I struggled with infertility, and I was finally blessed with two boys. My baby was such a happy baby.’

Sunday was the final day of WestFest, which featured “food, fun, and festivities” such as music and carnival rides about 20 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City.

Garcia added to KUTV-TV that his family was just about to leave WestFest but stopped to look at a ride — and that’s when gunfire broke out.

“I said to my wife, ‘Run, that’s gunfire, run.’ I pushed her out of the way, and all I did was use my body to cover the boys,” he recounted to KUTV. “I thought I rather the gunfire hit me than my children.”

Garcia on this Father’s Day also tried to use his body to cover the stroller, KUTV said.

Tragically, Garcia’s 8-month-old son — Anderson Garcia Cabrera Jr. — was hit by gunfire and died, KSTU reported.

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A 16-year-old male opened fire amid an argument between two groups at the festival, police said, and two others also were fatally shot: 18-year-old Hassan Lugundi of West Valley City — a male from one of the arguing groups — and 41-year-old Fnu Reena, a female bystander from West Jordan.

Adding to the heartache, Garcia’s wife — Mehili Cabrera — told KUTV that baby Anderson was a twin born after lengthy infertility obstacles.

“I have my heart and soul broken,” Cabrera said to KUTV. “For three years, I struggled with infertility, and I was finally blessed with two boys. My baby was such a happy baby.”

The devastated mother also said baby Anderson was just learning to crawl, KUTV noted, and that so many people loved him.

Indeed, the family wrote in a GoFundMe message that “what was meant to be a joyful Father’s Day celebration … became the most heartbreaking night of our lives. We are devastated and struggling to process this unimaginable loss.”

Baby Anderson’s family hope to lay him to rest in their home country of Guatemala, KSTU noted, “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,” his father added to KSTU. “What I want: He goes where I come from.”

The family’s GoFundMe campaign can be found here; as of late Tuesday afternoon, nearly $54,000 has been raised as part of a $100,000 goal.

Anything else?

Police said gunfire at the festival also wounded two teens — a 17-year-old female and a 15-year-old male — in their arms. Police added that it’s not clear if the two wounded teens were connected to the arguing groups.

The 16-year-old male suspect was taken into custody, police said, adding that an officer fired but didn’t hit the suspect. Police also said the suspect was taken to the police station for questioning.

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Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told KSTU-TV in a previous story that it’s too early to determine if the teen suspect will be charged as a juvenile or as an adult.

“We have not yet screened the case. Whether a case is filed in a juvenile or district court is a decision that is made at time of filing,” Gill said in a statement, according to KSTU. “It would be premature for us to talk about these matters at this time.”

A shocked employee of a business located next to the park told Blaze News that he feels “bad for what happened” and added that it was completely out of the ordinary for the area.

“I’d definitely say it was a one-off,” the worker noted to Blaze News before acknowledging the “dark” nature of the crime.

A pregnant woman also was injured while trying to climb a fence to flee the scene, KUTV-TV reported in a previous story.

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Roxeanne Vainuku, public information officer for West Valley City police, told KUTV that “it’s heartbreaking, I think for all of us, to see something like this happen at something that is just a real treasure, something that we really enjoy in our community.”

Vainuku added to the station that it’s not clear if the shooting was gang-related. KUTV also said police won’t release the name of the suspect since he’s a juvenile.

“I don’t even know how to explain this night,” one witness told KSTU. “I am traumatized. I don’t think I would ever go to a fair, especially if they’re not checking the people that walk in.”

Another witness added to KSTU: “I was very scared because I’m not used to hearing gunshots, and I almost had a panic attack because that was scary.”

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