The father of four who was fatally shot by a 9-year-old girl at an Arizona shooting range last month would be proud of the children he left behind.
Charles Vacca, who was accidentally shot in the head by an Uzi while teaching a little girl on vacation with her family how to hold the weapon, obviously raised four supremely kind-hearted children. His kids, whose ages range from 5 to 19, have every reason to feel bitter at the senseless loss of their dad. But instead of thinking of themselves, they reached out to the little girl who shot the gun, perhaps realizing that she, too, was a victim here and that she doesn't deserve to spend the rest of her life punishing herself for what happened.
They wrote a sweet, heartbreaking letter for her that proves they were raised to have compassion and empathy for others.
Vacca left behind daughters Ashley, 19, and 5-year-old Elizabeth as well as sons Christopher, 11, and Tylor, 14. According to the family's attorney, they came up with the idea to write the little girl a letter.
And here are some of the beautiful things they had to say:
"You should not let this define you," they wrote. "Someday we hope we can meet you, hug you, and tell you it's OK."
They added, "Our dad wasn't just an instructor. He was funny, strong, a protector, a hero, and our friend. He was a good man. Like you, we are living through this tragic event that we cannot shut off. It's with us all the time."
The girl's family has not been charged for this horrific accident. The Last Stop shooting range, where this incident took place, is also reportedly not at fault because it allows children over the age of 8 to shoot guns.
The children's touching letter follows a statement released by the little girl's family in which they said they were "devastated" by the accident and "prayed day and night" that he would recover.
When I first heard about this horrible story, of course, I felt an incredible amount of sorrow for the children who will never get to experience their father's kisses, advice, and hugs again. But I also couldn't get this little girl out of my mind. Let's hope that she can forgive herself for what happened and find peace in her young life again.
What do you think about the letter these children wrote to the little girl who accidentally killed their father?
Image via Guudmorning!/Flickr