Family chasing 'American dream' grieve 2 young boys killed in shooting while playing with kittens in yard
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- Two young boys and a teenager were killed by gunfire in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
- The brothers were playing with kittens in the backyard when they were shot.
- Two suspects face criminal charges in connection with the shooting, authorities said.
Authorities announced Thursday that two men were charged with the suspected killing of two young boys in a backyard on Tuesday in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. A third person, a 19-year-old, was also killed in the shooting.
Eight-year-old Jesus and nine-year-old Sebastian Perez-Salome were playing with kittens when they were killed, Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf said, according to the New York Times.
Joshua Lugo-Perez, who was also killed, was apparently targeted by the shooter suspects because of what authorities said was "a previous argument," the Associated Press reported. The three lived at the home where the shooting happened, but Lugo-Perez and the brothers are not related.
Their neighbor was also injured by a stray bullet but is expected to recover.
Authorities said in a press conference on Thursday that Alex Torres Santos, 22, and a 16-year-old male were both charged with three counts of criminal homicide. They also face aggravated assault, conspiracy, and weapons offenses.
Santos was under house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the shooting.
In an interview with the Associated Press, the brothers' uncle, Felix Muniz, said their mother was working at a nearby convenience store when she heard gunshots.
After running over to their home in the small city northwest of Philadelphia to find her children had been shot.
"She's in shock and is unable to speak coherently," their uncle said, saying the brothers always played together, often with superhero figures.
Muniz described his nephews as "very innocent and polite."
The 19-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, and the young brothers died shortly after at the hospital.
After the autopsies are finished, the family plans to bring the children back to Puerto Rico to be buried, he told the news outlet.
The family moved to the US in 2019 in search of the 'American dream,' according to AP, but have faced numerous hardships. Last year, the family lost everything they owned in an electrical fire at their old apartment.
A GoFundMe page set up for the boys' memorial service has raised more than $15,000 as of Sunday.
The district attorney said Thursday that the suspected shooters could face the death penalty, but it is unclear if that will happen.