Memorial held for Oakland college student killed by stray bullet

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - A memorial for an Oakland college student was held on Saturday. The young man would've turned 19 on April 22, but he lost his life to a stray bullet on just two weeks before.

"Please if anybody knows anything, say something because this is really hurting a lot of people," said Stanya Day, a friend of Demetrius Roosevelt Fleming-Davis.

Friends and coworkers of the college student continue to reel from his sudden shooting death.

On Saturday afternoon, many of them came together to celebrate his life at the nonprofit, Berkeley Youth Alternative.

"When I first heard it, I started crying instantly because that was my best friend," said Cianna Williams who met Fleming-Davis when they were seven.  

Williams said her final farewell to her friend of nearly 10 years that afternoon.

"They took away an angel," she said.

Oakland police said on April 10 Fleming-Davis was shot and killed while going to get food with friends.

Investigators said that at around 6:30 p.m., the young man was sitting in a truck with friends in East Oakland when a stray bullet struck and killed him.

"He was working towards college, working towards positive academics, and just overall good things, the fact that he died was just really unfortunate," said John Rosales. Rosales interned with Fleming-Davis.

On Thursday, the young man was laid to rest on what would've been his 19th birthday.

"I refer to Demetrius as my work son. We’re really hurt behind this," said Sequence Young of Berkeley Youth Alternatives.

Young was the college student's internship supervisor. She put together the memorial at Berkeley Youth Alternative, where Fleming-Davis interned.

The ceremony was held in the garden he loved to work in.

"As a young person, gardening isn’t the first thing that’s going to pop into a kid’s mind but Demetrius actually did really enjoy His job here," Young said.

Many add that he bought an infectious and positive attitude to the job. The young man has been described as smart, inspiring, and helpful, making the sudden loss all the more shocking.

"It’s a lot of things that me and him were planning together and I’m just like. I don’t know if I’m going to have the heart to do it because the fact that I won’t be able to see his face, his reaction to it, it just kind of hurts," said Day. 

Friends and family want those responsible to come forward. 

"We really hope that this could be a wake up call to everyone who is out there on the streets this summer acting crazy and wildin out. People are losing their kids, people are losing their friends, their brothers, their nephews," Young said. 

The Berkeley Youth Alternative plans to change the name of the garden Fleming-Davis  loved to work in so much to his favorite symbol, the infinity symbol.

Young is also raising money to put up a mural in his honor. To help raising money for the mural you can go here. 

Oakland Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case.