A wedding celebration turned into a nightmare for a St. Louis couple when the groom was shot in the head by a masked assailant.
Dulce and Manuel Gonzalez, who have been together for over a decade and share two children, were celebrating their marriage on Friday night with 50 family members in the backyard of their St. Louis, Missouri home, according to KSDK.
The joyous occasion took a horrifying turn just before 1:00AM on Saturday. Two masked gunmen entered the party through a shared driveway fence, reported Fox 2 Now.
The intruders demanded money from the wedding guests, threatening them with guns and ordering them not to move.
Police said that while one gunman searched the guests' pockets, the other stood behind the 32-year-old groom and shot him in the head several times.
The gunmen fled the scene without taking any money or valuables from the guests.
"They took nothing, yet they took everything from us," said Yaribeth Pena, the bride's sister, speaking to Fox 2.
Manuel remains in critical condition at a local hospital.
The family witnessed a glimmer of hope when Manuel moved his hands. "He's fighting for his life," Pena said. "We are hoping he pulls through."
Pena described her sister as "distraught, she's depressed, she's heartbroken," while police continue to investigate the incident.
"They were saying my brother-in-law was going for his wallet, and maybe they thought he was going for a weapon," Pena suggested.
Expressing concerns for her family's safety in the Dutchtown neighborhood, Pena added: "I feel like we would have to move to feel comfortable."
She also urged the community to help identify the suspects, whom she believes are teenagers.
A GoFundMe page has since been set up to support the family, and has gained $13,785 from a $50,000 target at the time of writing.
The page reads: "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.
"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."
