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Slain Colorado deputy's daughter interrupts vigil with heartbreaking advice to mom
January 02, 2018
Gracie Parrish, the widow of a deputy struck down during a shooting in Colorado on Sunday, broke her silence during a Monday vigil for her husband, slain officer Zackari Parrish.
While Gracie's faith in God and promise to raise her two young daughters may have stirred hearts, it was her 4-year-old's promise that everything would be all right that was one of the more poignant moments of the two-hour vigil at Mission Hills Church in Littleton.
What happened?
While giving a speech about Zackari's life, Gracie openly wept.
"I want to hear about him, and I want to soak it in," she said, according to video obtained by Denver's KUSA-TV.
As it became increasingly more difficult for Gracie to continue, her 4-year-old — who was being held by a man who appeared to be a family member — leaned over and whispered, "It's OK, momma, it's OK. Just be happy."
She added earlier, "I am overwhelmed with by the love and support of the community and of the nation. Never in my world would I have imagined this."
"I will raise my girls to love you," Gracie wept.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to benefit the family, which at the time of this writing had received more than $230,000.
What's the background?
Law enforcement officials in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, responded to a Sunday domestic violence call that ended in a deadly shootout that left six people — including four deputies — injured.
Police initially responded to an apartment early Sunday morning after a noise disturbance call. The officers left the scene after discovering there was no noise after arriving.
Police returned to the apartment a second time about two hours later after a report of domestic disturbance.
The suspect, 37-year-old Matthew Riehl, reportedly barricaded himself inside his apartment, and allegedly began firing on deputies as they started their approached the apartment.
Riehl — who had a history of disturbing online behavior and was known by police — was shot and killed on the scene.
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Sarah Taylor
Sarah is a former staff writer for TheBlaze, and a former managing editor and producer at TMZ. She resides in Delaware with her family. You can reach her via Twitter at @thesarahdtaylor.
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