Senior Danny Alvarez died on Jan. 6 around 2 a.m. after a gunshot to his back. He was killed a block away from his home in Little Havana. After he was shot, he was driven to Coral Gables Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

highlights spoke to a few of Alvarez’s classmates and friends.

“He was a great brother. It’s sad that he had to lose his life at such a young age, especially in such a gruesome and confusing way. He had his whole life ahead of him. Nothing in the world would replace him. He is gone, but he will never be forgotten,” senior Gabriel Martinez said.

As his friends and family mourn Alvarez’s death, a candlelight vigil was hosted in his honor on Jan. 10 at the corner of SW 31 Avenue and SW 4th Street, where he was shot.

“Danny was a really goofy person,” senior Leslie Smith said. “If you were down, he would pump you up.”

At age 17, Alvarez’s death affected many. Miami-Dade County Public School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho posted a message on Twitter shortly after the news came out, commenting on how painful a young death is for school’s community.

“I thought [the news] was fake. It felt surreal, and I didn’t know how to react,” junior Dante Hernandez said.

On Jan. 8, after being identified in a photo lineup by witnesses in the car, 21-year-old Jordan Applewhite turned himself in for killing Alvarez. 19-year-old Harlan Laszlo Rifkind, who was driving the car that Applewhite was in, was also arrested. Police were told that Applewhite wanted to confront Alvarez about a past robbery. Applewhite was charged with first degree murder and Rifkind was charged with being an accessory after the fact.