Benny Molina, 14, was killed in a Los Angeles County park on May 13.
Rosalie Gutierrez/GoFundMe
Benny Molina
A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in a California park, apparently while painting graffiti.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says it responded to a shooting on the evening of Monday, May 13, in Lancaster, California. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The county medical examiner’s office identified the victim as Benny Molina, 14, determining he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Benny was allegedly at the park painting gang graffiti with a friend and other teens, according to KTLA, which cited “preliminary reports”. The agency said several shots were fired from a car in a parking lot.
According to a GoFundMe began benefiting Benny’s family, the 14-year-old was an offensive lineman for his youth football team and “exemplified strength, loyalty and a fierce determination to protect those he cared for, on and off the field.”
“Benny’s promising future was cut short at the tender age of 14, leaving behind a grieving mother, two sisters and a community shaken by his loss,” the GoFundMe organizer wrote. “Rosalie, Benny’s single mother and dedicated social worker, now faces the unimaginable task of living life without her beloved son, while also grappling with the financial burdens that accompany such a devastating loss.”
So far, the fundraiser has generated more than $16,000 in donations.
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KTLA reported that Benny’s family found out about his death through social media.
“My heart dropped because this is my baby,” his sister, Crysta Gutierrez, told the outlet. “I just couldn’t believe it because this pain is so unbearable.”
No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
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