Illinois family devastated by fatal shooting during birthday trip in Durango
CHICAGO — A 14-year-old boy from Chicago is hospitalized in Mexico, battling for his life after a horrific shooting that killed his father, uncle, and a family friend during a birthday trip in Durango.
The tragic incident occurred as the family, residents of Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, celebrated the boy’s birthday. According to the boy’s grandmother, gunmen targeted the group while they were traveling in an SUV with Illinois license plates along the Francisco Zarco Highway in Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango.
Victims of the attack include 38-year-old Vicente Peña Jr. and 44-year-old Antonio “Tony” Fernandez, both from Chicago, as well as 22-year-old Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre. The teen, who sustained injuries in the attack, remains hospitalized in Mexico as his family makes urgent efforts to bring him back to Chicago for specialized medical care.
The nonprofit organization United Giving Hope has stepped in to assist the family in their efforts to transport the boy home. Meanwhile, the grieving relatives are seeking answers from Mexican authorities regarding the circumstances of the attack.