Groom Shot in the Head at Wedding Reception in Front of Family During Attempted Robber
A Missouri couple’s wedding night turned tragic when masked gunmen invaded their backyard reception and shot the groom in the head during an attempted robbery.
Manuel and Dulce Gonzalez, who had been together for over ten years and were parents to two young children, hosted an intimate wedding ceremony for about 50 close friends and family members in their St. Louis home’s backyard on Friday, June 28, as reported by Fox 2 Now on Monday, July 1.
As the celebration was winding down around 1 a.m. on Saturday, June 29, two ski-masked gunmen stormed into the backyard, ordering the guests not to move and demanding money, according to police.
While one of the assailants searched the guests’ pockets, the other held the groom at gunpoint. Suddenly, without warning, he shot Manuel Gonzalez in the head in front of his family and friends, as reported by Fox 2 Now.
The gunmen fled on foot without taking any money or items from the guests.
“They took nothing, yet they took everything from us,” said the bride’s sister, Yaribeth Peña, to the outlet.
The 32-year-old groom was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Peña, who had run into the house when the men stormed in, said the entire incident unfolded in about 30 seconds.
“I didn’t witness when he got shot. I heard the gunshot when I was running through the house,” she told KSDK.
She suspects the armed robbers shot her brother-in-law while he was “going for his wallet,” possibly thinking he was reaching for a weapon.
Peña described the suspects as two teenagers, with one being shorter than the other. Ring Doorbell footage from the couple’s home shows the suspects approaching the house before the attempted robbery and fleeing afterward.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Manuel Gonzalez’s father-in-law mentioned on Monday, July 1, that Gonzalez had made some hand movements since being hospitalized but remained in critical condition.
Peña shared that her sister is “distraught” over what happened to her husband.
“She’s depressed, she’s heartbroken,” Peña said. “He’s fighting for his life. We are hoping he pulls through.”
Describing Manuel Gonzalez as a “good father” and a hardworking family man who treats her sister with respect, Peña said, “He’s just an all-around good person who didn’t deserve this.”
Peña, who lives next door to her sister and brother-in-law, now worries about her family’s safety with the suspects still at large. The family is also asking anyone with information or Ring door video footage of the suspects to come forward.