Students at Seattle's Franklin High School honored a slain classmate while protesting the violence that took his life.
The teenagers gathered in the school's auditorium Friday morning to pay tribute to 17-year-old Ryan Dela Cruz, who was shot and killed at Martha Washington park last weekend.
Police say he was searching for ghosts with friends. They do not believe he was targeted, or that the shooting was gang-related.
“No 17 year old should die two weeks before he’s supposed to be walking at graduation,” said student Kayla Taylor.
Dela Cruz was planning to join the Marine Corps after graduation. His friend, Ysabel Bautista, has similar plans and they trained together.
“He was a character, but I knew he had his head straight,” she told the gathered students.
“I love you so much and miss you,” said Bautista, looking up. “Semper Fi.”
They wore matching orange t-shirts with the hashtags #KeepTheSouthEndSafe and #DreamForTheDreamer.
“He was a dreamer,” said Taylor of Dela Cruz. “He wasn’t able to live out that dream fully, but we’re doing the dreaming for him.”
Dela Cruz's father, Henry Tacazon, was there as well. He previously told KING5 that he forgives his son's killers.
"Whoever did this one, I don't know what's in your mind, doing this," he said. "...I pray for your soul being forgiven as well."
Though the students shared a moment of silence, they did not plan to keep their grief to themselves.
After the assembly, they gathered on a pedestrian bridge along Rainier Ave to protest gun violence.
“Stop the violence, enough is enough,” shouted JJ Wilkerson, an athletics secretary at Franklin. “Too many lives cut short.”
Cars honked in support as they passed by.
“The folks that are pulling the triggers, I hope they’re paying attention…” she said. “They need to stop. It’s time.”
Representatives from March for Our Lives Seattle and We Won’t Be Next Seattle attended in solidarity.
Semira Abdi stood on the pedestrian bridge. She recalled teasing Dela Cruz during class.
“Kids should not be shot at,” she said.
“We’re here to support those people so none of this happens again,” she added.
Police have not released information about a possible suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Seattle Police Department Homicide/Assault tip line at (206) 233-5000.
