Leana Nunez

Leana Larray Esther Nunez was a 15-year-old girl with a beautiful smile and dimples who could light up any room she entered. Born in Temple, Texas, on June 11, 2004, she was a sophomore at East View High School in Georgetown and a member of St. Helen Catholic Church. Her family and friends remember her for her fun and high-maintenance personality. Leana loved dancing, being silly, and spending time with her loved ones more than anything. She especially cherished "mommy-daughter time" with her mother, Leonda Moore-Tobias, which often involved shopping and getting their nails done. Her mother called Leana her "bestie," sharing everything and enjoying random dance sessions in their living room. Leana was known for her caring nature; if she saw someone was feeling down, she would make it her mission to cheer them up. She had a close circle of friends she considered sisters, and she was deeply loved by everyone whose life she touched.

The evening of Thursday, April 2, 2020, turned tragic inside Leana's home in Georgetown, Texas. At approximately 8:10 p.m., officers from the Georgetown Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the 1000 block of Tiffany Lane after receiving a 911 call about shots being fired. When they arrived, they discovered a horrific scene. According to police, an argument had broken out between Leana and her mother's 37-year-old boyfriend, Ruben Tobias Jr.

During the argument, Tobias went to his room and retrieved a handgun. He returned and shot both Leana and her mother, Leonda Moore, multiple times. After the shooting, Tobias turned the gun on himself, inflicting a fatal wound. When first responders arrived, Leana Nunez was pronounced dead at the scene. Ruben Tobias Jr. was also pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The case was determined by investigators to be a murder-suicide.

Leana's mother, though seriously wounded, was able to flee the house with the help of a neighbor. She was transported to a local hospital by the Georgetown Fire Department EMS and was reported to be in stable condition. Also present in the home at the time of the shooting was Leana's 13-year-old brother. He managed to escape the house physically unharmed and was placed in the care of other family members. The Georgetown Police Department investigated the incident, and because the perpetrator died at the scene, the case was closed.

In her obituary, Leana's mother wrote a heart-wrenching tribute to her daughter. "As a parent you never imagine losing your child, but I take pride in knowing that my little girl was so greatly loved by everyone she touched in her short life... I'm truly going to miss our random dance sessions in the living room and me singing to her 'You are my Sunshine'. Larray, I promise to never let your memory fade... Fly high baby girl and get our mansion in the sky decorated and ready, we love and miss you and always remember I love you more than life itself."

A visitation for Leana was held on April 13, 2020, at Ramsey Funeral Home in Georgetown, with restrictions in place due to the ongoing pandemic. Her boyfriend, Bobby Gardner, was among those named as pallbearers for her private burial. A GoFundMe campaign was also established in Leana's name to support her family. The community mourned the sudden and violent loss of a bright young life, remembering a girl who brought joy and laughter to so many.