The family of a New York City lawyer shot and killed while traveling in Chile is searching for answers.
The parents of 38-year-old Eric E. Garvin say he went missing during a visit to Santiago, Chile’s capital, on Jan. 14. A few days later, on Jan. 21, they received heartbreaking news from local police who found their son’s body at a hospital’s morgue.
“This is the darkest chapter of our lives because we are living every parent’s worst nightmare,” his father, Eric D. Garvin, wrote on Facebook.
The grieving father and his daughter, Naomi, flew to Chile to meet with local authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Santiago to get more details about what happened.
“What they told us is my son was innocently walking down the street, paused for a moment, took a snapshot of a building in a drug-infested area,” Garvin told ABC 7 New York. “And immediately following that, three gentlemen came across the street, grabbed my son and stole his phone and shot him three times and he died there on the scene.”
The 38-year-old attorney earned his J.D. from the University of Maryland in 2010. And according to ABC 7 news, moved to Staten Island a decade ago.
He moved to Staten Island “to use his advocacy for those who are often not paid much attention to,” his father told the news outlet, adding examples of things his son worked on, like initiatives to reduce gun violence.
The victim’s father expressed gratitude on Facebook for the outpouring of love he and his family have received thus far.
“The first few days, we couldn’t see any light in this tragic news, but today we are beginning to see a glimmer of light and hope,” he wrote.