CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Jan. 1, 2024 marked one year since Robert Silva and Melinda Cruz lost their 11-year-old daughter Amethyst Silva.
"It needs to stop. My daughter was only 11, she had her whole life ahead of her," Robert said.
Gathering outside the Allure Apartment Complex, the same place she was shot, a candle light vigil was held for her, so people can continue to remember Amethyst.
“Being that she’s a child, like everybody supports her. Everybody supports the justice that she deserves,” Melinda said.
On New Year’s Eve 2022, Amethyst and her family stood outside their apartment on Middlecoff Circle, to celebrate and ring in the new year. But just before the clock struck 12, Amethyst was struck with a stray bullet. She said “ouch” and fell to the ground. She died at the hospital on New Year’s Day.
One year since that day and it still feels like last night to her parents.
“Seeing other kids with their fathers, the daughters. It’s just hard for me, I turn away,” Robert said.
One year since that day, Amethyst's parents are still trying to wrap their heads around what happened.
“It's something that I've learned to live with. A fake hello, a fake smile. I’m getting good at it. I’m getting good at hiding the pain,” Robert said.
"It's a learning process. You learn to live with the grief. You learn when to let it out and when not to let it out."
What helps has been using their experience to help others. Since Amethyst died, Robert and Melinda have attended several vigils or events for victims of gun violence or death of a child, in the hopes of comforting those families.
“Being a mother of a lost child, I understand. I understand and I want to try to be there and comfort these other families too,” Melinda said.
"We want to support, the way we got the support. It's not just us when we go to support the kids, other friends of ours and family also go and support," Robert said.
Two suspects were identified thanks to a photo that was taken just before Amethyst was shot. Robert said it caught Deonis Poindexter and Jacob Leal in the background. The two were arrested for deadly conduct by discharging a firearm. They quickly bonded out of jail last January and have not been indicted since then.
“It’s very time consuming, it’s tedious, I understand that, but it’s just the frustration of they’re still out living their lives. They’re still out enjoying their families,” Melinda said.
Robert and Melinda also had plans for some litigation against the City of Corpus Christi. They said their 911 calls did not go through the night Amethyst died. Corpus Christi Police disputed the claim.
According to their attorney Mauricio Celis, a lawsuit could be filed soon, but things are trying to be worked out between everyone.
In the near future, Robert in Melinda hope to start a foundation called Amethyst Angels. It would support parents in a similar situation in the aftermath of their child's death.
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