HOUSTON – A Houston man was one of the many who was shot during a mass shooting in El Paso on Saturday morning carried out by 21-year-old Patrick Crusius.
Cristina Sauceda, the daughter-in-law of Mario Perez Sr., said he is a loving father and grandfather and his seven grandchildren can't get enough of him.
“He is a great grandfather. All the kids love him and follow him around all the time,” Sauceda said.
But Sauceda said the grandkids have been eager to see their grandfather since Perez has been at an El Paso hospital for days after getting shot during the El Paso mass shooting.
“He got shot twice. One in the buttocks area and the other one is in the hip,” Sauceda said.
[Click to donate to help toward Perez's health expenses]
Sauceda said her father-in-law was in El Paso working. On Saturday, he went to Walmart to run a quick errand and, while he was at the register, he suddenly heard shots. Sauceda said her father-in-law was able to catch a glimpse of the shooter.
“He saw him coming. He said he looked like a kid playing a video game. He said he would shoot, load up the road again and just kept shooting like it was a video game,” Sauceda said.
She said her father-in-law hid under the register and told the two other women standing next to him to do the same.
“He told the ladies to get down and, next thing you know, one of them was shot in the head. The body fell right in front of him,” Sauceda said.
Sauceda said her father-in-law was one of the lucky ones, because, despite his severe injuries thankfully, he made out alive.
[Click to donate to help toward Perez's health care expenses]
“We are in shock and it's the worst feeling I ever felt. We are ready to bring him home,” Sauceda said.