A 14-year-old Chicago boy lies in a coma following a tragic shooting incident while on a family trip to Mexico, where he intended to celebrate his birthday. In an unexpected turn of events, the celebration turned into a horrific scene as the teenager was critically wounded, and three others, including his father and uncle, were killed. NBC Chicago reports the attack claimed the lives of Vicente Peña Jr., 38, Antonio "Tony" Fernandez, 44, and 22-year-old local Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre.
Found alongside their Illinois-registered SUV near the town of Las Palmas in Durango, the three were fatally shot. The Chicago teen, however, managed to survive and is now fighting for his life in a medically-induced coma. The specific circumstances under which the attack occurred remain to be officially detailed. United Giving Hope's Julie Contreras, an activist rallying around the family, mentioned to NBC Chicago, "I feel very devastated because they wiped out my entire family," in a statement translated from Vicente Peña Sr., the grieving father, and grandfather of the victims.
The matrilineal branch of the family is equally shattered by the violence. "My child is a studious child. He is studying boxing. Thank God he will not leave us now, but they will not provide insurance for him anymore," Maria Elena Hernandez, the teen's grandmother, lamented in an interview with NBC Chicago. While relatives are urgently calling for the teenager's transfer to the United States to receive specialized care, Mexican doctors have advised against it given his fragile condition. United Giving Hope is assisting the family in this effort, as well as warning the public about fraudulent fundraising efforts purportedly in the name of the Peña family.
Adding to the urgency of the matter, the family is working with United Giving Hope and the U.S. State Department to expedite the boy's return to Chicago. They are driven not only by a desire for him to receive the necessary medical attention but to also ensure the family members who perished receive a proper burial back home. This devastating situation has highlighted issues broader than just one family's sorrow. "It's very heart-wrenching, and currently, this family is living a nightmare. We just want to bring them home, so they can be safe," Contreras passionately stated in an interview with WSAZ. Meanwhile, authorities are still piecing together what led up to the tragedy and whether this was a targeted hit or a robbery gone fatally awry.
