Loved ones mourn shooting deaths of Berkeley brothers
BERKELEY, Calif. - Tears and heartbreak at a candlelight vigil for two Berkeley teenagers who were shot and killed at a house party over the weekend.
Hundreds came out Monday to honor 15-year-old Angel and 17-year-old Jazy Sotelo Garcia.The brothers were students at Berkeley high school.
Monday’s vigil was held inside the Longfellow Middle School cafeteria where an overflow crowd lit candles and brought flowers for the grieving family.
"We have to hold their memories close to us and love this family the way they deserve to be," said one speaker at the event.
A classmate of the boys said, "It’s not a game out there. It’s sad that two boys had to lose their lives for no reason."
Saturday’s shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. at an Airbnb rental on Apgar Street in West Oakland. OPD Chief Leronne Armstrong said people at the party were targeted.
"We believe that this is the result of a conflict that may have happened at the school previously," said Armstrong. He said at least two people opened fire when they entered the home, one with a rifle and the other with a handgun. Two other teens were injured.
Berkeley Unified superintendent Enikia ford Morthel said there would be counseling services on school campuses. She sent out an email to the BUSD community, and said the focus is caring for each other in the days and weeks ahead. "This is a really hard time for all of us. Never ever should a community be devastated like this. And we are coming together to heal together to be of service and to be in community with the family."
The mayor of Berkeley, Jesse Arreguin, tweeted about the tragic killing. He wrote, "This is a nightmare for the families at Berkeley High, for their classmates, and for our entire community. We're reeling from this senseless act of violence and standby to help students with any trauma they're experiencing due to the loss of one of their own. Ultimately, the answer to gun violence isn't more thoughts and prayers, it’s prevention programming and overhauling federal laws that have enabled the proliferation of weapons. We must do better for our communities and our kids."