Walnut High senior dies in Rowland Heights shooting
May 25, 2016
Just a few days shy of high school graduation, Walnut High School senior Fernando Basurto Jr., became the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred on May 19.
According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the 18 year old was visiting the home of a friend in Rowland Heights when two men approached Basurto and two friends in a garage. After an altercation erupted around midnight, the men shot the WHS senior in the torso while his two friends were not injured. NBC News identified Basurto as the shooting victim.
When deputies arrived, the senior was pronounced dead at the scene, and the suspects, described as two Hispanic males in their early 20s, had escaped to a nearby alley. Deputies are still conducting an investigation, and no arrests have been made since.
“Fernando was a warm, gentle, kind hearted person. There wasn’t a day you didn’t see his cheesy smile. He always kept a smile on his face no matter where there were the good and bad days,” WHS senior Julia Jimenez said via Facebook.
“Fernando had a positive influence on everybody, including me. He was the type of person to make you feel like you were his best friend even if you were just friends with him. He would always make you feel welcomed and loved,” she said.
According to Weekly News, WHS issued a message to the students and parents the following day, informing them of the tragic incident and offering grief counseling by the school’s “crisis team,” which consists of GLCs and school psychologists.
Basurto was described as “funny” and “caring” by classmates. The senior was a member of the Mustang football team.
On Saturday, family and friends will be honoring Basurto at Rose Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the Basurto family is asking for donations funded towards a Go Fund Me account set up to purchase safety equipment for Walnut High School Football, as Basurto sustained a concussion during his sophomore year from playing the sport.
A remembrance on the Go Fund Me account states: “Fernando Basurto touched so many lives, he will be missed by many! Please keep his memory by helping other students stay safe. We are confident that Nando would be happy to help so many of his peers.”
According to Jimenez, students plan on honoring him by wearing sunglasses, which he was often seen sporting, during the graduation ceremony.
“I will surely miss his smile because Fernando’s smile was the brightest one that stood out like no other,” Jimenez said.
