COLORADO SPRINGS — Family and friends gathered for a candlelight vigil on Friday night at Keystone Park in Colorado Springs to honor the life of a seven-year-old boy who was found dead in his home last week.
Tristan Rael's mother, Geneva Martinez, said her son was a first-grader at King Elementary School who was quiet and had a unique personality.
“He and I had a little tradition of dancing like in my bedroom or in the kitchen. He liked when I like dipped him and twirled him around," she said.
Colorado Springs Police said they responded to a home on Lange Terrace on the northeast side of the city after a reported shooting last Friday morning.
Police said they found the seven-year-old and another man, confirmed by family as Tristan’s father, both dead inside the home. Police said they are investigating Tristan’s death as a homicide and his father’s death as a suicide.
More than 100 people gathered at the park to honor Tristan's life, sharing memories one-by one. His sister, Sparrow, said she'll always remember taking him to the park and the ice cream shop.
Martinez said she hopes people remember her son's kind soul and sweet demeanor.
“Tristan was my whole life, my heart. He was just such a really good kid. So sweet and adorable," she said. “And I just hope that we can keep his light shining bright.”
King Elementary's Parent-Teacher Association posted on Facebook it is collecting gift cards for Tristan's family. The post said donations can be dropped off in the PTA box across from the school's office on Sapporo Drive on the northeast side of the city.
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