LEESBURG, Fla. — The family of 18-year-old Juan Alberto Gomez Jr, known as “Junie,” is still reeling from their tragic loss over the weekend.
Police said Gomez was shot and killed at Berry Park in Leesburg as he was sitting in an SUV on Sunday afternoon.
Witnesses said after the gunshot, they saw three people get out of the car, grab some trash bags, and flee the scene. They described the trio as younger, but were unable to identify them otherwise.
As of Tuesday afternoon, police had not announced any arrests or significant updates in the case as they chose to keep details close to their chests.
“My son had a heart of gold and he loved his family,” Gomez’s mother, Valerie Long, said. “He was an aspiring rapper and was a joy to be around. We are utterly devastated.”
The shooting witnesses, a group that regularly hangs out at the park to watch their kids play and listen to music, said they recognized Gomez because he and his father frequently came to the park to distribute food to the homeless.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help them pay for Gomez’s funeral expenses, which they estimated to be around $13,000.
Family and friends are welcome at Gomez’s viewing, scheduled, for Saturday, December 20th. Visitation begins at 10 a.m., and the service will begin at noon.
It will take place at the Allen J. Harden funeral home in Mt. Dora.
“Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers,” one family member wrote. “This is every family’s worst nightmare. We still don’t want to believe it to be true.”
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