CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx. (KRIS) — A Texas father is mourning his 11-year-old daughter after she was killed by a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve.
"Should have never happened to my daughter," said Robert Silva.
Throughout the day Monday, Robert Silva has been staring at this memorial for his daughter Ambthyst outside his apartment.
"She's so young, she's only 11. Full of life. My baby. Everyone loved her. Everyone," said Silva.
Robert and his family wanted to stay close to home on New Year's Eve. So, they were just outside their apartment watching fireworks.
"We're here, we're outside. You think you're [in] the safest place, you're not. There's nowhere to be safe."
When the fireworks went off, Robert heard celebratory gun shots too.
"I heard them hit the sign over here. Third shot hit my daughter in the back. She fell to the ground, limp, here," said Silva.
Robert says Ambthyst let out an "ouch," then fell to the ground.
Robert says he couldn't get through to 911 dispatch, so he took his daughter to the hospital himself.
She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
On New Year's Day, a candlelight vigil was held for Ambthyst. Dozens of people came out to remember her.
A few hours later, police announced they arrested two suspects for the shooting.
Robert says it was a photo he took, trying to remember the night, that helped the police out.
"One picture that we took, which was of Melinda and my baby, and that was a key. That was a key we were able to see, and they caught them," said Silva.
The two men charged in the incident are being held on $75,000 bond each.
