TAMPA, Fla (WFLA) — Harrison Boonstoppel’s loved ones have gone two weeks without him by their side.
“The sadness of not having our son, I’m sure it will always be there,” said his mother, Brucie Boonstoppel.
The 20-year-old was one of two people killed in the mass shooting in Ybor City on Oct. 29.
“One of the things we were interested in was how much had he suffered or not, and the medical examiner gave us a little more background that the way it was, it was seconds,” said Harrison’s father, Karel Boonstoppel.
Harrison was shot in the leg, but it was a shot to his back that would claim his life.
“It went through basically diagonally from the bottom of his back to the top of his heart and lungs, so that was only bullet that did all that damage,” his father said.
The victim’s family launched the Harrison Bruce Boonstoppel Memorial Fund in his honor. It will help support organizations that focus on the health and safety of children.
“It’s just like a peace of mind thing,” said Harrison’s twin sister Ava. “It’s not like it solves every problem obviously, but we’re helping even though we’re hurting.
