SAN DIEGO — A San Diego family is trying to find justice and answers after a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed on Thanksgiving Day. The gunman remained unknown as of Wednesday when family and friends gathered to search for clues.
San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan called the shooting "senseless" and said it's all hands on deck to find the person who pulled the trigger. Homicide detectives are trying to figure out the trajectory of the bullet and who fired it, as the family of 12-year-old Angel Domingo Gaspar Gallegos tries to get answers.
“I knew him when he was little, I used to coach him in soccer, and he played with my son," said a family friend. "So looking at old photos [of] my son and him - Angel, it really hits home.”
On Thanksgiving, Angel was in the backyard at a family gathering in the Skyline area when he was struck by a single stray bullet while surrounded by his cousins. Angel, was buried 12 days after his death on Tuesday at Greenwood Memorial Park.
Family and volunteers on Wednesday went on a neighborhood walk going door to door sharing flyers in hopes of any clues.
"That someone comes forward that someone helps us get justice for angel," said Angel's aunt Maria Gaspar Casillas.
She said Angel was fun-loving and had a lot of friends at Parkway Middle School in La Mesa.
"He was an angel that was with us for 12 years. I can honestly say he was meant to be the rock for his mom and his brothers," said Casillas.
DA Stephan said the tragedy hits hard and they will search until the shooter is found.
"We’re going to be on this journey with them for a long time. We can’t return Angel but they are a part of this community. It’s a loss to all of us," said Stephan.
She said any tips could help solve this case and bring closure to the boy's family.
"Think of this 12-year-old at Thanksgiving. His mother, his father need those answers so no matter what - what the circumstances are - they need these answers," said Stephan.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the homicide unit or San Diego Crime Stoppers and can remain anonymous.
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