We will not forget. In the days following the tragic shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 2, the families of the 14 victims have come forward to remember their late family members — including Renee Wetzel, the widow of victim Michael Wetzel.
“Michael was the most amazing person,” she said in an official statement. “He was my best friend and an incredible father who was loved by all. I didn’t know a better person. He loved his work and his family very much. Without him, this family will never be the same. We appreciate all the love and support that everyone is showing. We ask that our privacy be respected during this terrible time. Thank you.”
The couple share six children together — three from Michael’s first marriage and three from his second.
On Wednesday, Renee wrote to friends via an online support group for moms, Lil’ Mamas, to ask for their prayers after the shootings broke out.
“Please pray,” she wrote. “My husband was in a meeting and a shooter came in. There are multiple people dead/shot. I can’t get a hold of him.”
Eight hours later, she learned that Michael was one of the 14 victims. He was 37 years old.
The Lil’ Mamas got together and started a YouCaring funding campaign to help raise money to support Renee, who is a stay-at-home mom, and her six little ones.
A family friend told the Los Angeles Times that Wetzel coached a local soccer team made up of five-year-old girls who were just learning the sport; their team was princess-themed.
“He was super tall, and the littlest of the girls thought he was a giant,” Arlene Arenas told the Times. “He had no qualms about letting them follow him around, or walking around like a monster, with the little ones shrieking and hanging off his legs.”
The Wetzel family isn’t the only one who is receiving help from the community, however.
Tin Nguyen, Jennifer Stevens, and other victims similarly have fundraising pages where people can donate to their families in the wake of tragedy.
