'You’re supposed to die before your children die': Grandma of 15-year-old shot and killed speaks out
SEATTLE - The grandmother of a 15-year-old killed in downtown Seattle last week, is sharing her story with FOX 13 News in the hope that no other family has to deal with this type of tragedy.
Wednesday, marked one week since someone shot and killed 15-year-old Michael Del Bianco.
Police say Del Bianco was shot in the stomach, near 3rd Avenue and Pike Street on March 2nd around 7:15 p.m. The area is notorious for crime and already the sight of several deadly shootings in 2022.
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"I held on to the last second of hope that he would come walking through the door," said Jodi Gulling.
Gulling is Del Bianco’s grandmother, however she said she raised him for several years when he was younger, and called Del Bianco her son.
She said for the last week, her family has struggled dealing with this tragedy.
"I’ve been mad. I’ve cried one whole day, just in disbelief that this happened," she said.
Gulling remembers her grandson as the little boy seen in the pictures around the home. He was a brother, and cousin and was a beloved son and grandson.
However, Gulling said Del Bianco started high school this year, and she noticed a change in her grandson.
"I just don’t know what he was doing down there. The last four months we didn’t see hide nor hair from him, but he did keep in touch," she said.
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Gulling said she is sharing her story to bring attention to the need for change in the city.
"I want to talk to the mayor, whoever I can talk to who can make a difference," she said.
Gulling’s hope is no other grandmother, mom, or family will ever deal with this same type of tragedy.
"You’re supposed to die before your children die," she said.
Since this incident, increased police presence, including a mobile precinct, are now set up along the area of 3rd Avenue between Pike and Pine streets.
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