In the summer of 2021, a young life was tragically cut short in Amory, Mississippi. Six-year-old Charles Alexander Garza, a male, passed away on Saturday, July 24, 2021, at North Mississippi Medical Center-Gilmore. Born on December 5, 2014, in Fairhope, Alabama, Charles had just completed kindergarten at West Amory Elementary School. He was known for his infectious personality that could light up a room.
Charles was the beloved son of Justin and Alicia Jenkins Garza.
He was a playful child who enjoyed the game Roblox and teasing his sisters. He held a special fascination with the fire service and would often accompany his father to the fire station, where he would play on the fire trucks and ambulances. The local firefighters treated him as one of their own.
On the morning of his death, Charles was inside his home when he was accidentally shot. He was transported to the nearby medical center, where he succumbed to his injuries. The incident was one of three accidental deaths that occurred within a 12-hour period in Monroe County, prompting responses from both the Monroe County Sheriff's Department and the Amory Police Department.
The death of Charles Alexander Garza was investigated by law enforcement. The circumstances were determined to be an accident, and as a result, no arrests were made and no suspects were named in connection with the tragic incident. His funeral service was held on July 29, 2021, with members of the Amory Fire Department serving as pallbearers, a testament to the bond he had formed with them in his short life.
