Two armed men in ski masks allegedly held up the wedding party, shot the father-of-two shortly after saying "I do" ... and left with nothing.
A 32-year-old Missouri groom is in critical condition and, according to family, "fighting for his life" after being shot in the head on the night of his wedding.
After exchanging vows last Friday evening, Manuel and Dulce Gonzalez celebrated with family and friends in their backyard with a party well into the early hours of Saturday morning. According to Fox2Now, those celebrations were interrupted by gunfire just before 1:00 am.
Two men in ski masks allegedly barged into the party from a shared driveway fence, reportedly telling everyone to stand still while demanding money from the guests.
Police, per KSDK, said an armed man stood behind the groom -- who shares two children with his wife -- while the other man went through the pockets of the guests. The armed man then shot the groom in the head, before they both allegedly took off with "nothing"; security footage showed the pair flee the scene.
The bride's sister, Yaribeth Pena, told KSDK some believe her brother-in-law was "going for his wallet" and "maybe [the shooter] thought he was going for a weapon" when he was shot. She added that Manuel is now "fighting for his life" and they're all "hoping he pulls through."
As of Monday, he was listed in critical condition, with the groom's father saying he's made some hand movements.
"They took nothing, yet they took everything from us," Yaribeth told Fox. "He's a good father. A good husband to my sister. He's a hard worker. He's just an all-around good person that, I don't know, he didn't deserve this."
She also said that her sister, Manuel's wife, is "distraught," "depressed" and "heartbroken."
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View StoryA friend has since started a GoFundMe for the family.
"This is for Dulce. On Friday 6/28, she was getting married with a small family ceremony at her home with their 2 small children," it reads. "The family was robbed at gunpoint and her husband was shot in the head. He’s alive and in critical condition. We need prayers that he will come through this."
"In the meantime, the family will need help with expenses, including medical bills and the loss of his income. Any support that can be afforded to this sweet family will be greatly appreciated," added the organizer.
So far, they've raised $14,402 of their $50,000 goal.
No arrests have been made.