HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Family and friends gathered to remember 14-year-old Jose Luis Meraz Sunday, saying they are still shocked by the news of his death.
"What happened to Jose?" said Mariz Maritinez, recalling the moment she received the phone call about the eighth grader's death. "He said, ‘Jose died,' I am shocked."
Martinez runs a small community church in the family's Northeast Harris County neighborhood, where Jose started to attend Sunday services.
"I'm praying and asking God, ‘Why?' He had so many dreams," she said.
Other relatives told Local 2 gang members had been trying to recruit Meraz for about a year but his cousin said he was scared and didn't want to join.
"He told me about it," said Derick Reyes. "He told me they were trying to mess with him."
At Sunday's gathering, family members chose to forget the horrible details surrounding his death and instead remember the caring kid he was.
"He was a good person," said Karina Perez. "He was accepting God, he was changing and he was really happy."