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Community holds emotional vigil for 7-year-old killed in Jacksonville shootout

Heidy had nothing to do with the fight that started around the car she was in, but a bullet from the shootout killed her from her seat.

The parents of 7-year-old Heidy Villanueva broke down in tears seconds after walking into the vigil for their daughter.

Heidy had nothing to do with the fight that started around the car she was in, but a bullet from the shootout killed her from her seat.

Her parents, Lionel and Beatrice Villanueva, were too devastated to talk, but the Jacksonville community came out in support.

"My son knew her, he saw her on the news yesterday and said, 'Mommy, that’s Heidi,'" said Paige Joiner. "I lost it. I had to go outside. How do I explain to my 7-year-old that his friend is dead?"

“We need to come together as a community to stop the violence," said Sherry Washington. "It's totally unnecessary for our babies to be dying like this. This could’ve been anybody’s baby.”

“I grew up in a violent neighborhood and just to see the violence carry on and take a child’s life my heart really went out to them,” said Toye Whitaker.

“I lost a sister in gunfire, I lost a son in gunfire," said Linda Norris. "Thank God the people came to give the family this support, they're going to need it.”

For this unexplainable tragedy, the community prayed, gave what money they could, and one by one they waited to show them an outpour of love.

Porque juntos somos mas fuertes. Because together we are stronger.

A GoFundMe account was set up for Villanueva's funeral services. Her family hopes to raise $30,000 to help send her body to Honduras, her native country, so she could be buried there.

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