'We Need To Do Better:' Calls To End Gun Violence Ring At Vigil Held For Teen Shot At Graduation Party
POMONA (CBSLA) — Loved ones gathered Tuesday night to remember a 17-year-old Montclair High School student who was shot at a graduation party.
Dozens of teenagers and their parents gathered at the Pomona hospital where graduate Eric Morales waged a three-day fight for his life. His friends huddled together in a tight knit circle, learning Eric was no longer in critical condition — he had passed away.
"He was gonna be a businessman ... I know he had endless potential," said Eric's older brother, Fernando.
Loved ones asked the crowd to shine the flashlights on their cell phones into the night to symbolize the light Eric represented in all of their lives.
"His heart radiated like the stars. So yes, he was taken away from us but his spirit and energy are everywhere forever," Fernando said.
Eric was at a graduation party in Ontario Saturday with his classmates celebrating their recent right of passage when, for unknown reasons, Ontario police say someone fired into the crowd.
Police are still working on a description of the shooter and a motive. They say it's unclear if the suspect was a guest at the party.
Eric's family members are meanwhile asking for justice — and action.
"We need to do better in our community and not make gun violence the norm," Eric's aunt, Wendy, said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral expenses here.
