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Slain Honors Student Remembered At Vigil As Funny, Talented, Ambitious

TEMECULA (CBSLA) --  An emotional candlelight vigil was held Sunday evening for an 18-year-old honors student gunned down  outsidea party in Menifee early Saturday morning.

Devaughn Perkins was remembered by friends and family as a bright young man with a great future ahead.

The vigil was held in Temecula.

KCAL9's Cristy Fajardo reported from the somber scene where friends and family wanted the shooter to know what a kind person he or she killed.

Perkins had just completed his first year of college -- California State University at Dominguez Hills -- after skipping a year to begin study early.

"I've never seen a human get shot in my life," said friend Gregory Neely, "and I saw the bullet go right through his neck."

His distraught parents and grandmother are hoping the shooter will turn him or herself in.

The shooting was reported around midnight near the intersection of Cleary Street and Michener Drive, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Devaughn Perkins
(credit: Ernestine Anderson/victim's mother)

When deputies arrived at the scene, they found Perkins had been shot. He died a short time later, sheriff's officials said

Perkins' sister -- Deja Anderson -- spoke at the vigil. She is also a student at Cal State Dominguez Hills -- a junior -- and vows to finish for the both of them.

"It's just really hard," Anderson said, "To know that there's people out there, but this world is not perfect but I know that God gained a new angel early yesterday morning.

Perkins' brother has set up a GoFundMe account to help the family with funeral expenses.

A little less than half the $5,000 goal was reached in a day.

Perkins' dad, Cory Anderson, said he is still numb at losing his talented son.

"I'm still confused," he said, "I'm baffled. I'm overwhelmed and I'm trying to cope and I'm trying to be strong for my family."

With 150 people at the party, Perkins' family believes witnesses will be able to lead police to his killer. In fact, police are already following up on several leads,

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