CLOVIS (KMJ) — The five children who witnessed to the Fresno County Jail lobby shooting, now have new toys to help them through the traumatic experience.
“It’s just more than words can express, I am so grateful and so blessed”, reveals their mother Rachel Gaines. “I am overjoyed and overemotional. I’m just very happy, it’s just something I could never give them”.
Each of the children, aged between 3 and 7 years old, were given $150 to spend in the Clovis branch of Toys R Us, money raised by the Fresno Sheriff’s Correctional Sergeants Association and the Fresno County Public Safety Association.
“It’s just a blessing to see the smiles on their faces”.
The incident on September 3rd saw two correctional officers, Toamalama Scanlan and Juanita Davila, both shot. Scanlan is still recovering, but Davila was there in the store Wednesday morning to see the kids before they rushed into the aisles.
“Those little small hearts were out praying for me, and just really worried about me every single day”, says Juanita Davila. “I know that they were asking about me, how I was doing and I’m just so glad that we were able to bring happiness today to them.
“To support them and let them know that we’re here for them”.
The Sheriff’s Foundation for Public Safety also gave the five siblings new bikes, backpacks, and coats; representatives from Project Linus provided each of them with a homemade blanket.
Hear the story from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
