REMEMBERING DESIREE GAUNA: A MOTHER, DAUGHTER, AND DEVOTED SISTER

Four young children—aged 7, 6, 3, and just 2—are navigating a painful future without their mother after police found Desiree Gauna shot to death inside her Austin, Texas apartment.

When family members were unable to reach the 27-year-old one morning, her sister Victoria requested a welfare check from the Austin Police Department. Officers arrived to discover Desiree deceased from gunshot wounds. Detectives subsequently linked her tragedy to another, revealing that both Desiree and 20-year-old Mariana Montoya Palacios were killed in separate cities by the same gunman, who later took his own life.

While two young lives were senselessly cut short, Victoria is determined that the tragic circumstances of Desiree’s death will not overshadow the beauty of her life. To her loved ones, Desiree was a vibrant, funny, and deeply affectionate daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Most importantly, she was the devoted “Mommy” to Aleeah, Aniyah, Arianna, and little Giovanni.

Victoria’s deepest heartache is that 2-year-old Giovanni may grow up with only fragmented memories of his mother’s face, voice, and warm embraces. Her family asks the public to keep all four children, along with the family of Mariana Montoya Palacios, in their thoughts and prayers. Leaving heartfelt messages of strength, condolences, and hope ensures these children will one day read how profoundly their mother was loved and cherished.