Missouri Wedding Turns Tragic as Groom Shot in Head During Failed Robbery
A joyous wedding celebration in St. Louis, Missouri, took a tragic turn when two masked gunmen invaded the backyard reception, shooting the groom in the head in an attempted robbery. Manuel and Dulce Gonzalez, who have been together for over a decade and have two children, were celebrating their nuptials with approximately 50 close friends and family members when the horrifying incident occurred.
The couple’s wedding day, filled with love and celebration, took a devastating turn around 1 a.m. on Saturday. Two armed men wearing ski masks stormed into the backyard, shouting at the guests not to move and demanding money. As one of the intruders began searching the guests’ pockets, the other held the groom at gunpoint.
In a shocking turn of events, one of the assailants shot Manuel Gonzalez in the head in front of his loved ones, without any warning. Following the shooting, both men fled the scene on foot, leaving without stealing any money or possessions from the guests. The bride’s sister, Yaribeth Peña, expressed her grief, stating, “They took nothing, yet they took everything from us.”
Manuel Gonzalez, 32, was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Peña, who had run into the house when the gunmen stormed the backyard, recounted that the entire incident unfolded in about 30 seconds. She did not witness the shooting but heard the gunshot as she was running through the house.
As the family struggles to come to terms with the senseless act of violence that marred a day meant for celebration, Peña suspects that the thieves shot her brother-in-law while he was reaching for his wallet. She speculated that they might have mistaken his action for reaching for a weapon. Peña believes the suspects to be teenagers, with one being shorter than the other.
Footage from the couple’s Ring Doorbell shows the two suspects approaching the house before the attempted robbery and then fleeing down the road after shooting Manuel Gonzalez. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made yet.
Manuel Gonzalez’s father-in-law shared that his son-in-law had made some hand movements since being admitted to the hospital but remains in critical condition. Peña revealed that her sister is distraught and heartbroken over the incident. She described Manuel Gonzalez as a good father, a respectful husband, and a hard-working family man who did not deserve this tragedy.
Peña, who lives next door to the couple, expressed her concerns about her family’s safety with the violent criminals still at large. She appealed to the community to help her family locate the suspects. The family is also urging anyone with information or Ring door video footage that may have captured the suspects to come forward.