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total hearts received for Moments That Survive

Tammy de la Cruz

In memory of Joseph Gingerella

My life changed the moment my phone rang in the early morning hours of December 11, 2016. My 24-year-old son was shot and killed after being asked to check on a girl that had left a local pub after a confrontation with her boyfriend. What he found was a man punching his girlfriend in the head and face through the car door. Without too many details, my son intervened and was shot and killed. He was shot three times (twice from behind).

My son was loved by so many and had given so much of himself to his community. Whether it was coaching young kids baseball, speaking at schools about the dangers of drugs or just sharing his smile with everyone. He died right around the corner from our home, and I found out he was gone at the hospital I work at. How do I heal?

Reacting shows support for gun violence survivors.

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