WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Family, friends, and teammates gathered Saturday to remember 14-year-old Braysan Connors, who died in a shooting one week ago.
“I'm at a loss for words,” said Connors' father, standing among mourners at the vigil.
WATCH: What the West Palm community had to say about Braysan Connnors
According to West Palm Beach Police, the teen was fatally struck by a bullet after a gun discharged while a group of kids were filming a video for social media. Investigators say the shooting does not appear to have been targeted.
Loved ones say Connors, who was part of the Palm Beach Rams Youth Football team, left a lasting impact, both on and off the field.
“We are here now with this unbelievable loss,” coach Corey Lewis said. “[I was] devastated. I was just like shook from it and I just couldn’t believe it and all I could remember was just seeing him run out into the field.”
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Teammates say the tragedy has left a void in their lives.
“I was kind of down for like two days,” teammate Kendell Newberry said.
Lewis described Connors as a standout among his peers.
“His spirit was a good spirit," Lewis said. "You could tell he’s been here before because he was above the normal kid. He always wanted to laugh, crack jokes, very intelligent."
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Newberry echoed those sentiments.
“He was like a brother to the team," Newberry said. "He was like one of the best teammates.”
Connors had big aspirations to play college football.
“His dream was to be a football athlete,” Lewis recalled. “He’d get on the field, he’d always wear lime green cleats. I’d be like, ‘Why you wearing those?’ He’d be like, ‘Hey coach, I’m D-1.’”
Teammates and community members who knew Connors circled candles with a photo of him at the Gaines Park football fields to honor him with a moment of silence.
Coach Lewis hopes Connors' death will serve as a reminder that life is precious.
“We only have one life to live, and with that one life to live, we don’t even know when in the blink of an eye it will be your time to go home,” Lewis said.
As the community mourns the loss of a young life full of promise, those who knew Braysan Connors say his memory will live on, not just in the touchdowns he scored, but in the hearts he touched.
