Three Detroit boys lose both parents in apparent road rage shooting on 4th of July

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Three boys in Detroit are now trying to navigate their lives without their mom or dad after a gunman shot all five of them on the Fourth of July.

Police believe road rage led to someone pulling a gun and shooting up the Gonzalez' family's car in southwest Detroit as the family of five was headed home from a BBQ on the Fourth of July. 

Family of five shot in apparent road rage shooting, both parents killed

According to police, it's believed that road rage led to a shooting that killed the parents of three boys in southwest Detroit on July 4th.

The boys' mother, Maria, died on the scene. A few days later, the same day she was laid to rest, their father Francisco died as well.

A memorial has been set up for Maria and Francisco where they were killed.

Christine Bell knew the Gonzalez family through their work with the Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI), a group dedicated to improving Southwest Detroit. The shooting happened just a block from the UNI building.

"It is just really devastating," said Bell. "What is wrong with us - if it is road rage that we couldn't take a step back and think if I do this right now I am going to change people's lives forever."

Bell says the couple were pillars in the neighborhood and even adopted a park in 2013 to keep up with maintenance. Today, the overgrown grass is a sad reminder that they're gone. 

The Gonzalez boys, ages 15, 12, and 9, are being cared for by family. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the boys and Bell says the UNI team is working on long-term assistance for the children. 

"How do we help you and support you emotionally because money doesn't bring your parents back?" she said.