A 10-year-old Massachusetts girl shot by a neighbor who forced her way into her family’s apartment earlier this week has died, authorities and her mother said.
The girl, identified as Aubrianna Lynn, was shot in Springfield on Monday and died on Thursday, her mother posted on Facebook.
“At 12:56pm my princess Aubrianna Lynn’s heart stopped beating,” Stephanie Croteau wrote. “She went in peace, she didn’t have any pain. She was surrounded by her family. My whole heart was completely ripped out of her chest. It’s broken. It hurts me. The pain I feel is unbearable.”
The girl’s death was confirmed by Jim Leydon, a spokesman for the Hampden district attorney’s office.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno called the girl an “angel.”
“As the father of two daughters, there are no words to express my feelings about this tragic loss of life,” he said in a statement. “A bright and brave angel, 10-year-old Aubrianna Lynn, was taken away from her family very early. Let her legacy be a clarion call for all of us to redouble our efforts in her memory and do everything we can to end these senseless acts of violence.”
Police responded to the multi-family home Monday afternoon after receiving reports of gunshots.
Aubrianna’s grandmother, Kim Fairbanks, 52, was also killed in the shooting, while a 12-year-old sister suffered a gunshot wound. Her 5-year-old brother was at home but was not physically harmed. The family dog also died.
All three children were taken to a Springfield hospital before the youngest girl was airlifted to a Boston hospital in critical condition, authorities said.
Responding officers also found the suspected shooter, identified as 34-year-old Victor Nieves, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.
Investigators say Nieves, who lived in the apartment above, forced his way into his neighbor’s front door and began shooting at the occupants before killing himself.
Authorities have not revealed a possible motive and are continuing to investigate the case.
