The tragic loss of an 18-year-old Air Force Academy cadet candidate has rocked the nation, with family members and Air Force officials honoring her death with a full military funeral.
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Her bright future was abruptly ended by a jet ski accident over Memorial Day weekend, a result of reckless actions by an illegal alien.
Ava Moore had just graduated from the Air Force Academy Preparatory School and was set to join the prestigious Class of 2029.
Moore was kayaking on Lake Grapevine near Dallas when she was struck by a jet ski allegedly driven by Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez-Gonzalez, an illegal alien from Venezuela.
Rather than stopping to help, Gonzalez-Gonzalez fled the scene, leaving the promising young cadet to die.
The suspect was later arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter.
An accomplice, Maikel Coello Perozo, also an illegal alien from Venezuela, was charged with hindering apprehension and collision involving damage to a vehicle.
Both suspects are in jail, with Gonzalez-Gonzalez on a $500,000 bond and Perozo on a $3,250 bail.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed detainers on both suspects for deportation after their U.S. legal proceedings conclude.
Moore was remembered as an outstanding student and athlete. She was a four-year varsity basketball player and team captain at Timber Creek High School in Fort Worth, Texas.
Her teacher and coach both emphasized her remarkable intelligence, leadership abilities, and positive impact on those around her.
“She was tremendously funny even in seventh grade. She was kind and witty and inquisitive and curious about the world around her and just ridiculously smart,” the teacher said.
In a solemn ceremony at The Met Church in Fort Worth, Moore was laid to rest with full military honors, including the playing of Taps, the ceremonial folding of the American flag, and its presentation to her grieving family.
This level of recognition is typically reserved for active-duty service members, highlighting the military’s respect for Moore even as she was just beginning her service journey.
Lieutenant General Tony Bauernfeind, U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent, paid tribute to Moore, saying:
“We lost an exemplary teammate this weekend – Cadet Candidate Ava Moore, whose passion for leadership and service left an impact on everyone she met.”
This tragedy is yet another heartbreaking example of the real human cost of America’s ongoing border crisis.
Moore’s bright future was extinguished by individuals who should never have been in the country in the first place, a devastating consequence of failed immigration policies that continue to put American lives at risk.
While Moore’s family mourns their tremendous loss, they can take some small comfort in knowing that her legacy of leadership and service will be remembered by all who knew her.
Her former teacher, Danielle Bailey, perhaps said it best: “She was meant to be a world changer and she knew it.”
A promising future patriot was taken far too soon, while those responsible for securing the borders continue to fail the American people.
