A heartbroken sister is speaking out and sharing her grief after a domestic shooting in Hollywood took her 15-year-old brother from them and sent her older brother to the hospital.
Speaking with 7News on Saturday, Destiny Weirzba said she, her mother and the rest of her family are navigating a devastasting loss after her 15-year-old brother, Alex Weirzba, was declared brain dead.
“Alex was an amazing, kind person,” she said.
Destiny, her mother and other family members remained at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood this weekend.
“Alex was considered brain dead, and we are going to donate his organs to save other people, because that’s what he would have wanted,” said Destiny.
Loved ones told 7News that Alex was home with his older brother Richard and their uncle, Tony Weirzba, when an argument began.
According to Hollywood Police, Tony shot both of his nephews before turning the gun on himself.
Destiny said she had just left for work.
“I knew [my uncle] did bad stuff in the past, but I never thought he was capable of murder, especially of my brother,” she said.
Paramedics rushed Alex to Memorial Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, rescue crews transported Richard to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he was treated for an eye injury.
Destiny said she’s had a chance to speak with her older brother.
“He is alive, he knows everything, he remembers everything,” she said. “He said that it was an argument over cat litter. I don’t know if he did something wrong, or he yelled at him to do the cat litter, all I know is that it was an argument over cat litter, and he just shot my brother.”
To make matters worse, the family said, the shooting happened on the anniversary of the death of the siblings’ father, who was murdered 14 years ago.
Loved ones are holding tight to small jars decorated with Alex’s heartbeat, wishing this was all a nightmare.
“This is his own brother’s son. We would have never imagined this,” said the boys’ mother.
“No one can imagine this. This is a horror movie,” said Destiny. “Like, I still want to just wake up and see my brother’s face again. That’s all I want to do.”
Richard is expected to be OK. His family considers him a hero for seeking help after the shooting.
Loved ones said Alex will be taken off life support once his organs are donated.
