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Fundraiser Held For Victim In Old Sacramento New Year's Eve Shooting

RIO LINDA (CBS13) - Friends and family of one of the victims in the Old Sacramento New Year's Eve shooting gathered Saturday for a fundraiser.

Gabriel Cordova and his wife were both shot on New Year's Eve. She survived, but Gabriel died.

"He was really a good man and we want to help his family," one cheerleader said.

Help came in the form of cheering and selling baked goods.

"We're trying to get money for Gabe's family," one of the young cheerleaders said.

Gabriel's daughters have been a part of the Rio Linda Parks and Recreation Cheer Squad for the past four seasons. So, the group put together a bake sale in an effort to raise money for a man that gave his all to the team.

"The whole squad feels the loss," said Coach Melissa Zelico. "He meant a lot to a lot of us."

"Anything these girls needed, he was always right there," mother Sharon Paulson said.

Parents described the father of three as a supportive dad who never missed a game or practice. A few days before he was shot, he had made a promise to his daughter and her good friend.

"Just a few days before the shooting he told my own daughter and his daughter that he was going to take them to the movies," said Zelico.

"We always had a good time," Zelico's daughter said.

Saturday's bake sale was organized by parents of the cheer squad, doing whatever they could to help out.

"All of the moms actually have been baking for days now," said Zelico.

For their kids, explaining the loss of a good friend has been heartbreaking.

"I had the hardest time explaining it to my son. He was really close to Gabe. You don't know how to explain it to a kid." said Mary Kalbow.

"We're trying to get money to get a funeral for him," said one of the cheerleaders.

Parents and kids of the cheer squad plan to hold another bake sale Sunday at the Mountain Mike's restaurant on Elkhorn Boulevard and Watt Avenue.

"If this was one of us, he'd be the first one there to console our child," said Zelico.

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