They celebrated his graduation and birthday only last month but tonight a family is preparing to bury their teenage son after he was murdered last night near his home on Cairo Street.
The victim is Andrew Fuentes who is only 15 years old. Keith Swift followed the trail of blood and grief and reports on how Andrew's friends want to ensure he is not just another saddening statistic in the mounting murder toll.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This mound of sand in the yard of the Raymond Parks Shelter is where 15 year old Andrew Fuentes fell after he was shot as many as 5 times in his head and face last night. And we are able to follow the trail of his injury marked by these drops of blood which leads onto Glynn Street. The trail of Andrew's blood ends here where his short life did, just yards away from his home on Cairo Street and mere minutes from the last time he was seen alive.
Salomie Jimenez, Victim's Friend
"The last time I saw Andrew alive is when I went to his house and called him to go and buy for me. I sent him to Chon Saan. He went to buy for me at about 10:15 and he brought the food for me. I then gave him his money and I think he went to buy fried chicken over at the next Chinese place and he was coming back."
But Andrew never got his food and he never made that short trip back home. His friend and housemate who goes by the name "Dread" was one of the last to see the teen alive and one of the first to hear the shots.
'Dread', Last to see Andrew Alive
"He was here just hanging out like nothing. The lady came and asked him to go buy and he went to go buy. A couple minutes later some shots rang out. I ran out there and I saw him still trying to hold on."
Keith Swift,
Did you hear the gunshots?
'Dread',
"The man had just left out of the house to go buy and then I heard the shots. I went on the verandah and somebody told my girl he was shot. As they said that I already figured out the youth was dead."
Keith Swift,
And you couldn't believe it?
'Dread',
"I still can't believe it."
And today no one who knew him was able to reason the "why's" and "how's" of Andrew's murder. After all, just yesterday the 15-year-old, who had recently graduated from primary school, had a whole life ahead of him and today he is dead. And through their mourning those who knew him made it clear Andrew is not just another statistic.
Salomie Jimenez, Victim's Friend
"Andrew was a sweet and nice little boy. He didn't have problems with anybody around the neighborhood and I think justice should be done because they took away an innocent life."
'Dread', Victim's Friend
"This man doesn't deal with them 'folly' (doesn't give trouble) or gang-bang speed or no silly vibes. This man was a humble youth; loving. Everybody in the neighborhood knows this man. He was a straight youth and to let this man just be killed like that doesn't make any sense. That is really simpleness. It doesn't make any sense. The whole concept is so hard to grasp; you are here one minute and the next you are gone. It doesn't make any sense on the real.
Q: _What would you say to his killer(s)?
'Dread',
"I just hope you are sleeping good on the real. What goes 'round has to come back around..you dig?"
And as they prepare bury Andrew his friends are left in search of two things: answers and justice.
Police recovered 3 expended 9-millimeter shells from the crime scene and say they are hunting for the two suspects who witnesses tell us they saw riding off after the shooting. Andrew Fuentes graduated last month from St. Ignatius School and was hoping to attend high school this August.