Tributes Pour In For Bucks County Native Killed Protecting 2-Year-Old Daughter In Philly

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Tributes are pouring in for a devoted father who was shot to death in front of his 2-year-old daughter as he tried to protect her from two gunmen in Philadelphia on Thursday.

Gerard Grandzol, 38, was shot in the face around 8 p.m. in the city's Spring Garden neighborhood in what police believe was a robbery and attempted carjacking. According to authorities, the brutal crime happened along the 1500 block of Melon Street, where Grandzol lived with his wife and two daughters.

An arrest was made Saturday night. Authorities allege it was a 16-year-old who fired the fatal shot.

Grandzol is a 1997 graduate of Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pa., where he played varsity ice hockey, according to his Linkedin biography. On that site, he describes himself as a “professional legal solutions expert, urbanist, bike-riding, hockey playing, husband and father.”

Friends described him as a friendly, fun-loving person who had a humorous penchant for "jorts" (jean shorts), would treat strangers as old friends and lit up the room wherever he went.

According to NBC10, the father, daughter and family dog were returning from an outing at Fairmount Park's Lemon Hill when the shooting happened. As Grandzol finished parking, two males dressed in black held him up at gunpoint.

He handed over his wallet and then the suspects tried to steal his SUV, but his 2-year-old daughter was inside so he wouldn't let them. That’s when the suspects shot him twice in the face.

Neighbors rushed to help him but he died about 90 minutes later at Hahnemann University Hospital, ABC reports.

Granzol's daughter was crying in the backseat when authorities arrived, the NBC10 report said.

Authorities say the suspects, in their late teens or early 20s, fled the scene on foot. The fatal shooting was captured on surveillance video, according to reports.

Loved ones and friends were shocked and say they will greatly miss Grandzol, a proud father who was active in community organizations and was fondly referred to as the “mayor” by neighbors. He and his wife had recently welcomed their second daughter in July.

He proudly shared photographs of his family on his Instagram page.

He was a helpful, caring neighbor, those who knew him said. “He engaged himself with everyone he met. That was remarkable. I'll miss him so much,” one neighbor told NBC10.

On a Remembering Gerard Grandzol Facebook page created after his tragic death, dozens and dozens of photos, memories and tributes poured in, including a video of him wheeling children around the neighborhood in a wagon.

According to his Linkedin profile, he was a member of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, a member of the Spring Garden Civic Association, an active blood donor and a Young Leaders Volunteer with Project HOME.

An online fundraising campaign has been established to help his widow and children.

“We will never be able to replace the, love, laughter and light that Ger brought to our lives, but perhaps we can do our part to help provide for his two children and widow. We love you Ger,” the GoFundMe page says.

It had raised more than $37,000 as of Saturday afternoon.

PHOTO via GoFundMe