Rosniery Mejia Magaña, top left, was murdered in Alabama (GoFundMe).
A man in Alabama, who was a father of three children and had another baby on the way, was fatally shot by a robber as he was leaving for work.
Rosniery Mejia Magaña, 42, was killed on Jan. 8. No arrests have been made.
The victim, Rosniery, was about to step out of his house when the assailant entered and shot him in the face, according to a statement by a relative, Caren Montoya, to local news station WSFA.
The incident was discovered when emergency services were called to the 5100 block of Long Leaf Pine Drive in Montgomery following reports of a shooting at 6:12 a.m. The victim was found dead at the scene, as reported by the Montgomery Advertiser.
The victim was a husband, father, son, cousin, and friend. His family is from Honduras and fled violence there, settling in the U.S., according to a GoFundMe that’s raising money to bury him in his home country and support his wife and children.
Montoya pointed out the cruel irony of Magaña coming to the U.S. to flee violence in his home country only to face it here, and he said his family doesn’t feel safe here anymore.
“Everyone is terrified right now. His other cousin is afraid to go back to his own home,” she told the outlet. “You’re not secure. You’re not.”
“They came fleeing from pretty much similar situations,” she added. “They’ve had a lot of family murdered in their country, so they were fleeing that.”
Montoya said the victim’s wife confided to her about their unborn child.
“I found out that same day because [Magaña’s wife] said something … and I was like, ‘Oh, you’re pregnant.’ She was like, ‘We were trying to figure out a way to surprise the family,”” Montoya told WSFA.
The GoFundMe page said the family asks for prayers and support as Magaña’s family tries to navigate through this rough time.
“If anyone would like to help we would greatly appreciate any donations as he will be sent to be buried in his country Honduras, so it will help cover those expenses & any necessities for his daughters & pregnant wife that he leaves behind,” the page said. “This account is being handled by a family member but with his wife’s consent so the donations will go directly to her account. We are grateful for everyone who has been reaching out & showing your support.”
