Sunday in Fresno, a bake sale fundraiser will be held in honor of an Alabama girl who was accidentally killed by her brother's gun.
Emily Lavender's family is hosting the event. 6-year old Emily died in a similar situation last year when her 2-year old brother got a hold of a gun and accidentally shot her.
The event takes place at 11 a.m. at Epidemik Ink, which is located at 529 Olive Ave.
“Every time I hear about another child being shot it just breaks my heart and I relive the same nightmare I went through,” said Ronda Malailua, Emily Lavender's grandmother.
Last month in Fairhope, Alabama, 5-year-old Teela Murphy was killed and her 3-year old brother was critically wounded when their 17-year old brother accidentally shot them while sighting his rifle. He's being charged with reckless manslaughter.
“We thought that was a good family to help because they're pretty much in a worse place than we were,” said Malailua.
Emily's family received financial assistance following their tragedy, so they're now paying it forward to those suffering in the south by holding a fundraiser.
“It can help with food, utilities and medical costs. Whatever they need at the moment,” said Tammie Marquez, Emily’s cousin.
Marquez knows first-hand how important it is to gain outside support.
“Your mind just doesn't function the way it normally does, so having people step in and help in all those areas is amazing,” said Marquez.
This event in Emily's name is not just about money, it's also designed to raise awareness about gun safety.
“Everyone needs to keep their guns put away and locked in a safe place. We don't want anyone else to go through what we did,” said Malailua.
Jared Dubois, Emily Lavender's stepfather was charged with negligent storage of a firearm. He's currently doing community service as part of his probation, which includes giving gun safety awareness talks.
