MIAMI (WSVN) - A family is mourning the death of a 16-year-old boy after he was gunned down in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood.
Surrounded by loved ones, Wanda Gomez was inconsolable during a memorial held for son Jose Velez-Gomez, Thursday night in Northwest Miami-Dade. “This is a nightmare. This is a nightmare,” she said, sobbing.
Earlier in the day, Jose’s cousin Marilyn Davila spoke about him.
“I just wish I would’ve told him I loved him before he left. I’ll never get to see that smile again,” said Davila.
Known by friends and family as Chillito, Jose was working on earning his GED. Family members said he was loving and always happy.
“It is a big pain in my heart,” said Gomez through a translator, “but I want to tell the person who did it, from the deepest of my heart, that I forgive you.”
Now the family is asking for answers after Jose was shot and killed Wednesday night, near Northeast Miami Place and 57th Street in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood.
“Please go back to police. Go back,” said Gomez.
Neighbor Eduardo Gutierrez said he heard gunshots right outside his window. “It really scared me to the point I didn’t want to get up and look out the window,” he said.
When police arrived, Gutierrez said he looked outside his window to see the teen dead in his backyard. “The guy was right here face up, shell casing right here, and apparently the officers said that [the shooter] had shot him in the backyard,” he said.
“Please, if anyone knows something or heard something, call anonymous, so we can close the case,” said Jose’s aunt Margarita Rosario. “We need justice.”
Officers returned to the scene of the crime Thursday, continuing their investigation.
“Love your kids, hug your kids because you never know if they are coming home,” Rosario said.
If you have any information on this fatal shooing, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.