A baby's party turned tragic on New Yr's Eve when a father was fatally shot whereas carrying his daughter's birthday cake.

The daddy, Calogero Duenes, 24, was strolling right into a Chuck E. Cheese in Humble, Texas, with the cake for his oldest daughter's sixth birthday. His spouse, Amber Uresti, had already gone inside with their two kids, ages 6 and three, based on ABC 13.

As he was strolling to the constructing, Duenes reportedly obtained into an argument with somebody in a black Ford car. In keeping with surveillance footage obtained by police, the automobile drove the incorrect approach by means of a row of parking areas and almost collided with Duenes.

"I noticed him," Uresti mentioned. "I noticed him strolling in the direction of us. I instructed the girl my husband was on his approach. I pointed at him, and the moment I circled, he got here operating in by means of the door and he saved saying, 'I obtained shot! I obtained shot!'"

chuck e chees birthday shooting
A father was fatally exterior of a Texas Chuck E. Cheese whereas bringing a birthday cake for his daughter inside. Above, a representational picture of police tape at against the law scene. Mark Wilson/Getty Photos

In keeping with surveillance footage, Duenes and the motive force had been seen talking for a short time. Because the state of affairs escalated, witnesses on the scene reported listening to three gunshots.

"I ran out after him," Uresti continued. "My 6-year-old noticed him fall on the bottom. He had no weapons. He was holding my daughter's birthday cake. He had nothing on him. I do not perceive why."

Officers close by responded to the scene after listening to the gunshots and located Duenes with a number of gunshot wounds, Click2Houston reported. He was taken from the car parking zone to a close-by hospital for therapy, however died shortly after arriving.

Police mentioned that the shooter fled the scene earlier than they arrived.

Duenes' physique can be taken again to their hometown for burial. Uresti and her household have arrange a GoFundMe web page to assist cowl funeral prices.

"This isn't how we anticipated to begin the brand new yr," Rosemarie Uresti, the sufferer's sister-in-law, wrote on the web page. "Something helps to present him the burial he deserves."

The couple had been set to rejoice their tenth anniversary in September. That they had first met one another once they had been youngsters in Corpus Christi.

"My daughter has been crying," Amber Uresti mentioned, per ABC 13. "She slept final evening together with her father's shirt, crying till she fell asleep, and it breaks my coronary heart. There's nothing I can inform her. There isn't any phrases to inform her aside from, 'Daddy is with you in your coronary heart. He loves you.'"

The seek for the shooter remains to be ongoing.

Newsweek reached out to the Humble Police Division for a touch upon this story however didn't hear again earlier than publishing.