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In a heartbreaking incident, an 11-year-old boy, who had once penned an award-winning essay honoring his father, was tragically killed by him. This shocking event unfolded at the Elko Regional Airport in Nevada, leaving a community in disbelief.
On April 13, law enforcement officers responded to calls of an active shooter at the airport, as detailed in a press release from the Elko Police Department. Upon arrival, authorities discovered Giovanni Perez deceased near a ticket counter, and his son, Callan Perez, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in a restroom.
Despite being swiftly transported to Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital, young Callan succumbed to his injuries, marking a tragic end to his short life. The father and son duo had been traveling when their journey took a grim turn; their rental car had broken down in Winnemucca, necessitating a tow to Elko to secure another vehicle. It was there, in a restroom at the airport, that Giovanni fatally shot Callan before turning the weapon on himself.
In a poignant twist, Callan had captured hearts just the previous year when, as a fourth grader, he clinched third place in a “Father of the Year” essay contest, a testament to the admiration he held for his father. This tragedy, reported by KUTV, leaves friends and family grappling with an unimaginable loss, as they mourn a young life taken far too soon.
Last year, Callan—then a fourth grader— placed third in a “Father of the Year” essay contest according to KUTV.
Authorities said Giovanni had reported struggling with post-traumatic stress syndrome from his time in the military and had ongoing family issues.
“Giovanni was in a custody dispute with the maternal grandparents,” police shared in the release, “and was attempting to keep Callan from both the maternal grandparents and his own family.”
It’s unclear where the father and son lived at the time of their deaths, an Elko police spokesperson told Oxygen in an email.
“We do know that they have ties to the Merced, CA area and there was a missing person’s report filed out of Clovis, CA in December of last year,” wrote the spokesperson. “They were located a month later in Ogden, UT. Ogden was the last place we believe they were living, but we are trying to follow up on that.”
In the wake of the shooting, loved ones remembered Callan as “incredibly smart, funny, and kind” writing on a GoFundMe page, “he deserved so much more life, so many more laughs,” it continued, “and a future that was stolen far too soon.”
“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” a spokesperson for the Merced City School District told Oxygen, “and our prayers and thoughts are with the family.”