A tragic shooting on Chicago’s Northwest Side has left a family mourning the loss of a beloved father, remembered as a dedicated and amiable individual. Andrew Garay, a 30-year-old Army veteran, was shot and killed, leaving his loved ones in disbelief.
Garay’s family is struggling to come to terms with the sudden tragedy. “It’s been a complete shock,” expressed Samantha Knutt, Garay’s sister. “None of us really know how to process or accept that he’s gone.”
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The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Friday when an unidentified assailant approached Garay while he was seated in his vehicle in the 3500 block of West Wabansia Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. The gunman shot him in the head, according to police reports.
Reflecting on their last moments together, Garay’s mother, Debbie Knutt, shared, “He kissed me on my forehead three hours before and said, ‘Mom, I’ll be back in a little bit.'”
Garay had just finished dropping off his girlfriend and her daughter at their residence prior to the tragic event, his family recounted.
Garay’s relatives said he had just dropped off his girlfriend and her daughter at their home.
“They just got out of the car,” Samantha said. “They were up right at the apartment door when it happened.”
“Andrew just exuded this presence that made you feel safe, and he made you feel happy like I’ve never seen anybody, not like Andrew,” said Karjan Dambaugh, the victim’s cousin.
Why anyone would want to harm Garay is a mystery to his loved ones. They say Garay lived on the Northwest Side, and after leaving the Army, worked as a package delivery driver. He leaves behind a 7-year-old daughter.
“He would do anything under the sun for that girl. If she needed anything, okay, daddy’s got it. You want to play games? Daddy’s got it,” Samantha said.
“If he loved you, he loved with everything,” Karjan said. “He was the person that would show up randomly and just make everything right.”
Relatives say Garay aspired to be a Chicago police officer and was working toward applying. CPD is now investigating his murder and says no one is in custody.
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