In the wee hours of the morning on Dec. 8, Colombians were celebrating Noche de Velitas -- the unofficial beginning of Christmas, but for one group of observers the night ended tragically.

Isabel Cecilia Carrillo Julio was also celebrating her 87th birthday when she and another woman were killed, according to El Heraldo.

At about midnight two women and four men, who were not invited to the festivities, arrived.

"At 1:30 a.m., there was a fight between them, and there were shots fired, and my mother-in-law was shot in the chest," Jose Luis Mendoza, a relative, said.

Carillo was taken to the hospital in Barranquilla, but she was in grave condition as the bullet was lodged in her heart.

The other woman, Jenny Esther Gonzalez, 35, had already died. She was one of the uninvited guests.

Police official Jose Gonzalez Fariñas said the incident happened after Jenny got into a fight with the shooter. He took out his gun and fired two times at Jenny. Her brother, Leonardo Jose Gonzalez, disarmed the shooter. Leonardo then also shot two times, and one of the bullets hit Carrillo.

Leonardo was arrested, and the other shooter fled.

Officer Fariñas said there is no known motive for the argument that led to the star of the shooting.

Noche de Velitas (Day of the Little Candles), which is celebrated from sundown on Dec. 7 to sunup on Dec. 8, is a major holiday in Colombia. People light candles and put them wherever they can be seen.

The event was trending on Twitter on Monday, and by Tuesday, Colombians were using the hashtag #UnaVelitaPor (A Little Candle For). People have used it as an opportunity to remember loved ones, celebrate new beginnings or for future plans.

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