Names of 7 victims killed in North Texas tornadoes released – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

For the first time, we have what is believed to be the complete picture of victims killed in this weekend's deadly tornadoes in North Texas.

Investigators say seven people died in the storms, including four children, with all deaths occurring in the Valley View area of ​​Cooke County.

NBC 5 has now learned the names of these seven victims.

Family members told NBC 5 on Monday that Victor Ortiz was a father and grandfather killed by the storm in Valley View.

In another house in the same neighborhood, Loyd Watson lost his life.

“We had seen the house was gone,” neighbor Jesse Helms said. “So we started there because we knew there were three people there.”

Friends said Watson and his two adult sons were sheltering in their mobile home when the tornado struck.

Seeing the house destroyed, neighbors quickly began searching and learned the worst.

“The father was already gone,” Helms said. “Unfortunately we can’t do anything for him.”

Watson was found dead at the scene and his two sons were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Along with Watson and Ortiz, three members of the Esparza family died in the tornado near Valley View: Laura Esparza and her two children, Miranda, 15, and Marco, nine.

Two siblings aged two and five also died when they were thrown from a nearby house.

NBC 5 is not releasing their names at this time due to their ages.

“What I mean is, people are not replaceable, things are,” Helms said. “This thing can go away, it doesn’t matter, we’ll rebuild.” you can't get people back.

Even in the face of destroyed homes and buildings, some people caught in the tornado's path felt lucky.

They knew that four families were torn apart by these storms and that it would take much longer for them to recover.

“They were friends of ours, so I mean, it’s hard, the whole thing is hard,” Helms said. “There is damage everywhere, these are human lives.”

Anyone wishing to support the Ortiz family can contribute to their GoFundMe campaign.