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ANTIOCH — A makeshift memorial grew in size, and tributes dotted social media on Monday, as students returned to Deer Valley High on Monday following the Friday shooting death of one of its students.
Authorities early Monday identified the victim as 16-year-old Jonathon Parker. Police said he was shot at least three times in the parking lot of the school following a basketball game as the crowd from the game made its way to their cars. He died hours after the shooting.
A fight among a large group of teens preceded the gunfire, police said.
Police have not identified a suspect.
School resumed at the campus Monday morning amid a statement from both Antioch Unified School District Superintendent Stephanie Anello and Deer Valley Principal Bukky Oyebade condemning the violence. Additional security and grief counselors were at the school Monday.
“Our hearts and sympathies are with the families during this time of unimaginable pain,” they wrote in a post on social media. “We, along with the rest of AUSD, denounce this senseless violence and call on the community to come together to address such vicious brutality.”
The scene was as a somber one Monday. A makeshift memorial in the north parking lot that started Sunday grew in size, and friends came to pay their respects. The memorial was covered in red-and-white heart-shaped balloons and decorated with candles, teddy bears and a large stuffed dog bearing a red “Pugs” sweatshirt.
“He was funny,” said one girl who didn’t want to give her name. “He was a light to the crowd. He didn’t like to see nobody sad. He liked to bring smiles to people’s faces.”
A blue bicycle stood upside down at the memorial in Parker’s honor, and friends wrote heartfelt messages in pink, yellow, blue and red chalk on the sidewalk and blacktop to their friend, who was a sophomore.
On social media, people who said they were family members and friends posted tributes. One post on Instagram uploaded still pictures of Parker’s life in a small video set to music.
An online fundraiser also gained traction, collecting $3,000 toward a goal of $30,000 before 12:30 p.m. Monday. In the fundraiser, organizer Aurora Solorio says they are seeking collections for “Johnny Angel.”
“We truly lost an Angel,” Solorio wrote on the page. “Johnny was an extraordinary young man full of life. He was truly an old soul. He didn’t ask for much or need much [and] he was always thankful and so happy with life.”
Deer Valley authorities said extra security and grief counselors were on site Monday. They refused to address the shooting Monday, referring all inquiries to the Antioch Police Department.
Calls and emails to Antioch police were not immediately returned Monday morning.
On Sunday, students gathered at the school where an impromptu memorial site went up in the afternoon, and a vigil was held in the evening.
“He was a good friend,” 16-year-old Luis Tena said of his friend since fifth grade. “He was always trying to protect somebody. He liked to hang out with friends and make people laugh.”
Police responded to the school around 8:45 p.m. and said the teen had been shot at least three times.
Check back for updates.