The mother of a Puerto Rican Olympian has been killed by a stray bullet whilst stitching in her Connecticut house
The mother of a Puerto Rican Olympian was killed by a stray bullet when stitching in her Connecticut residence above the weekend, in accordance to the athlete and police.
Law enforcement think Mabel Martinez, 56, was an harmless bystander and the intended target was apparently a gentleman strolling outside her house in the city of Waterbury. He was wounded in the leg and survived. No arrests have been announced.
Mabel Martinez was the mom of Yarimar Mercado Martinez, a rifle shooter on the Puerto Rico Olympic crew who competed in the summertime Olympics past 12 months and in 2016.
Mabel Martinez died Sunday right after staying shot in the head Saturday afternoon, law enforcement said.
Mercado Martinez, 27, expressed her anguish in social media posts.
“Why you? Why this way? You were being just sitting in your small property sewing, as you always did,” she wrote in Spanish.
“Two days ago you known as me with exhilaration, inquiring me to help you save the day and assist you prepare to renew your wedding ceremony vows with daddy in Puerto Rico,” she stated Sunday. “There are so numerous matters I nonetheless needed to study from you … I was so significantly away devoid of getting able to do something, I could not even say goodbye to you.”
She wrote that the relatives intends to carry her mother’s system to Puerto Rico “so her buddies and family members can say goodbye.”
“I apologize to Puerto Rico mainly because even if I wished to, I truly can not compete, my position is with my family members,” she wrote.
A message trying to get comment was left Monday for Mercado Martinez.
The athlete flew out of Brazil late Sunday and has arrived in Connecticut, in accordance to Gilberto Hernández, president of the Puerto Rico Shooting Association, the sport’s governing overall body in the U.S. territory.
Hernández mentioned it’s not clear when the overall body would get there for burial in Puerto Rico, adding that the taking pictures affiliation is assisting fork out a portion of the funeral prices.
“We believe in that she will overcome this,” he explained to The Linked Press. “She can count on us. … The doorways of the association are always open up.”
Waterbury Law enforcement Chief Fernando Spagnolo explained investigators believe the shooting was drug-relevant and experienced practically nothing to do with Mabel Martinez.
“This was absolutely a random, tragic act of violence,” he informed the AP. “She was in her home. She’s not the meant focus on.”
Spagnolo stated relations were being extremely distraught, such as Mabel Martinez’s partner, whom he described as inconsolable.
He explained the investigation has been “very, quite active” because Saturday.
———
AP journalist Dánica Coto contributed to this report from San Juan, Puerto Rico.