LONGMONT, Colo. (KDVR) — Just one day after 13-year-old Zay Rosales was shot and killed at Kensington Park in Longmont, family and friends gathered to honor him.
It was heavy and emotional as loved ones gathered at the same place Rosales lost his life less than 24 hours prior.
The family told FOX31 that his 14th birthday was just a week away.
“His birthday is next week, we were planning his birthday. Now, his mom is planning his funeral. How do you go from a birthday to a funeral?” his aunt, Shantell Swan, said.
Swan told FOX31 he was a loving kid who loved basketball and was a jokester.
“He’s never going to come in and say, ‘hey auntie’ again. He’s such a loving kid, funny and a big smile. It’s just hard,” Swan said. “You can’t put into words what you feel.”
The family left with unimaginable pain and a message to the person responsible.
“You ruined a family, we will never get him back. This pain is horrible, can’t eat, can’t sleep, scared about what’s going to happen to your other kids, your neighbor’s kids. I just pray that he realizes and he lives with this every day of his life,” said Swan.
A GoFundMe has been made to help Rosales’ family heal.