Two men were killed a year ago after a gunman opened fire at the Dallas ICE facility from a neighboring rooftop. Three men were shot.
DALLAS — This week marks one year since a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas, striking three detainees.
Two of the victims died: Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez and Norlan Guzman Fuentes.
This week, family members and loved ones gathered for a memorial honoring the two men. The sound of guitar filled the air as those who knew and loved them reflected on their lives.
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Garcia-Hernandez and Guzman Fuentes were remembered through vibrant artwork and a gathering centered on their memories.
Their wives say the men were known for their personalities and the joy they brought to those around them.
“He was very cheerful, very, very…” said Berenice Prieto, Guzman Fuentes’ wife.
Stephany Gauffeny, Garcia-Hernandez’s wife, remembered him as someone who was “really happy, happy and always smiling and always joking around, not taking anything serious.”
Guzman Fuentes died at the scene. Garcia-Hernandez died days later at a hospital. His death came just days before Gauffeny gave birth to their youngest child.
Now, a year later, Gauffeny is working to make sure her child grows up knowing his father.
She said the family shows the child photographs of Garcia-Hernandez, including pictures that help him recognize his father.
“He probably recognizes him from the pictures,” Gauffeny said.
Garcia-Hernandez was from Mexico. Guzman Fuentes was from El Salvador.
Authorities identified the gunman as a 29-year-old man who they said was targeting ICE personnel.
For the families, however, this week is not only about remembering the men. It is also about the questions that remain.
Both families have pushed for autopsies and additional details about what happened in the moments following the shooting.
Those families say they are still waiting for answers from officials.
For Gauffeny, the hope is that no other family has to experience the same loss.
“The only thing I would like to say is just, I just, my hope is for this to not happen to any other family, the way it did,” she said. “I can’t imagine anyone else going through the same thing, you know, kids, and it’s just been really, really hard. Even a year later, it feels like it was just yesterday.”
One year later, the memorial serves as a reminder of the lives Garcia-Hernandez and Guzman Fuentes left behind and of the families who continue to grieve while seeking answers about the violence that took them.