A GoFundMe campaign has been started by loved ones of a 10-year-old Texas girl who was critically injured in a tragic murder-suicide that claimed the life of her mother, Chantal Cantu. The fundraiser, created by Andre Thomas on behalf of the Cantu family, aims to cover the young girl’s medical expenses, as well as provide grief counseling and long-term emotional support for her and her 15-year-old brother, who are now left without a mother.
The shooting occurred at an apartment complex in Spring, Texas, on May 30 around 5 p.m. According to Sgt. Greg Pinkins of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, a 39-year-old male, a 33-year-old female, and a 10-year-old girl were involved in what authorities have called a murder-suicide. Local outlet ABC 13 reported that the man was the boyfriend of the woman, and the child was her daughter.
Harris County Texas Sheriff Ed Gonzalez stated in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that all three sustained gunshot wounds. First responders found the boyfriend dead and the mother unresponsive at the scene. Despite receiving medical attention, the mother succumbed to her injuries.
The GoFundMe page states that Chantal Cantu was “murdered while protecting her daughter from gunfire.” The 10-year-old girl suffered gunshot wounds to five major organs in her abdomen and is currently in the pediatric intensive care unit at a local hospital, where she has undergone multiple surgeries. The family expects her to have a long road to recovery.
“Although Chantal’s 10-year-old daughter is strong and she is a fighter, the road to recovery will be long,” the fundraiser reads. “We would love nothing more than for her to get back to being that energetic, loving, caring soul that she was prior to this hideous act.”
Investigators believe the incident was a result of a “disturbance” between the man and woman, with the 10-year-old girl being “struck in the crossfire from the shooting,” according to Sgt. Pinkins.
As of June 4, the fundraiser has garnered more than $3,000 in donations to support the children’s recovery and well-being in the wake of this heartbreaking tragedy. The Cantu family remembers Chantal as “an amazing mother, daughter, sister, cousin, friend, and co-worker who knew no boundaries for those in her life.”
