Dallas Police confirmed Keysi Matos was killed in December. She would have turned 18 on June 15, her family said at a memorial in her honor Sunday.
DALLAS — Sunday, in a Dallas park, Keysi Fabiana Matos Delgado’s family came together to celebrate what would have been the teenager’s 18th birthday.
Matos Delgado was shot and killed inside a car in December, investigators previously said. Police charged a 17-year-old with manslaughter in connection with her death. The accused gunman claims the shooting was accidental, but the family disputes that claim and has called for a murder charge since shortly after her death.
“She’s never gonna get the chance to celebrate this day,” Nicolas Quintanilla, a family spokesperson, said Sunday. “She’s never gonna get the chance to graduate high school.”
“[The suspect will] get to see his 19th birthday, his 20th birthday, his 21st birthday,” Quintanilla continued of the accused gunman. “Keysi will not have that same opportunity. She will not get the same chance.”
Matos Delgado’s mother, who was visibly emotional during the gathering, said in Spanish that her daughter had looked forward to her 18th birthday party for years. She brought a cake, flowers and balloons on Sunday and held onto her daughter’s favorite pair of jeans during the memorial celebration.
Family members spoke in both English and Spanish as they mourned at the park next to the parking lot where Matos Delgado took her final breaths.
“That night has devastated, has broken this family,” Quintanilla said.
Though Matos Delgado died at 17, her family made clear Sunday that they will continue celebrating her memory.