MILWAUKEE — Two men have been arrested in connection to a shooting that left two teenagers dead on Christmas Day, Milwaukee police say.
A 21-year-old man and 18-year-old man have both been arrested in the shooting deaths of Nayah Vasquez, 15, and Exziel Rivera, 15. Charges have not yet been filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.
Vasquez is remembered as a beautiful soul who loved music, friends, and the outdoors. Rivera, known to his friends as "X," is remembered for his kindheartedness and bright smile.
Previous coverage: Friends, family mourn the loss of teens killed in Christmas Day shooting:
According to police, an unknown suspect fired into a vehicle just before 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, striking both teens. Their vehicle continued through the intersection, hitting a parked car before crashing into a tree.
Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene, while Vasquez died later at the hospital.
On Thursday night, friends of Rivera gathered at the site of the shooting to honor his memory. They brought balloons and candles to hold a small vigil in his name.
"His smile would just make you want to smile," said Grace Howard, a friend of Rivera’s who considered him family. "His bright smile, full of teeth and all clean, and I’d be like, ‘Yep, that’s my brother.’"
Howard and others said they felt compelled to honor Rivera because of the support he gave to those around him.
"X loved everybody, even when he didn’t love himself. For that, I’d say he’s probably one of the most kindhearted kids I have ever met," said Howard. "He’s always been there for people, even when he’s going through things himself."
Both families are now grappling with unimaginable grief and have set up GoFundMe pages to help with funeral expenses.
"He needs love, and even if he’s not here, he can be loved," Howard said of Rivera. "Just because a life ends doesn’t mean the love needs to end."
GoFundMe for Nayah: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honor-nayah-vasquez-help-her-family?qid=fa357ea7b4c94033de72f3c7ee7769ad
GoFundMe for Exziel: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-xziels-memorial-and-funeral-costs.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
