CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Family, friends, and community members gathered outside the Allure Apartment complex on Wednesday to honor 11-year-old Amethyst Silva on the two-year anniversary of her passing.
On New Year’s Eve 2022, leading into 2023, Amethyst was struck by a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire while celebrating with her family outside their apartment. Her father, Robert Silva, rushed her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
“No amount of time will ever make this right,” Robert told KRIS 6 after the vigil. While speaking, he showed a bullet he had found on the ground earlier that day. In the two years since Amethyst’s passing, her family has been vocal in urging the community to cease celebratory gunfire.
“Please don’t pull out the guns,” Amethyst's mother Melinda Cruz said. “Put them up, lock them up. What goes up must come down one way or another. It doesn’t matter which way you point the gun. Somebody’s going to get hurt. So please, put them up.”
Robert added, “There’s no need to live with your daughter’s picture on your shirt, the memories—this should have never happened. My daughter will get some kind of justice.”
Law enforcement authorities have echoed these concerns, reminding the public that celebratory gunfire is both dangerous and illegal. Reckless discharge of a firearm can result in a Class A misdemeanor, leading to fines up to $4,000 and up to one year in jail. If someone is injured or killed, charges can escalate to manslaughter or deadly conduct.
Days after the shooting, Deonis Poindexter and Jacob Leal were arrested. The two were charged with deadly conduct and discharging of a weapon due to the bullet that killed Amethyst never being found.
The pair allegedly fired celebratory gunshots near the apartment complex in the direction of Amethyst and her family. A year later, the two were indicted, and court proceedings will begin this year.
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