The news of the nine-year-old girl who fatally shot 39-year-old Charles Vacca last month when he was showing her how to shoot a gun shocked us all. Our hearts went out to both the man who had been killed, but also to the little girl, as this would no doubt take its toll on her too.
However, it looks like Charles left behind four pretty great children, aged between 11 and 19, as they have penned a beautiful letter to the little girl, hoping to ease her pain. They wrote:
"Our dad would want you to know that you should move forward with your life.
“You should not let this define you. Someday we hope we can meet you, hug you, and tell you that it's OK.
"Our dad wasn't just an instructor. He was funny, strong, a protector, a hero, and our friend. He was a good man.
“Like you, we are living through this tragic event that we cannot shut off. It's with us all the time.”
The family's lawyer said it was the children's idea to write the letter: “I was touched when they told me they wanted to do this. It's rare to see something so human in a legal situation like this.
"This is about extending out, reaching out to someone who was hurt by this, and saying it's OK."
No charges have been filed in relation to the case as officials believe it was an accident. Charles had been standing beside the little girl when she fired the shot and the recoil wrenched the gun upwards, fatally shooting the instructor.
We are so amazed by the strength of this family at such a sad time, and we hope their letter helps ease the pain of the little girl too. Watch the video of Vacca's children, Christopher, 11, Tylor, 14, Elizabeth, 15 and Ashley, 19 reading their letter here:
