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A funeral is being held on Wednesday for the 15-year-old kid from the Bronx who was stabbed to death by a gang.
Lesandro Guzman-Feliz was attacked near a bodega on East 183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue in a case of mistaken identity.
"That kid was my age and I feel that could have been anyone. So, it really impacted a lot of people. It hurts because he was one of us," a teenager told WOR's Alice Stockton-Rossini.
He was an NYPD explorer and had dreams of being a police officer.
"This was a young man who wanted to serve this city and be a part of our police force and had such a bright future," Mayor Bill de Blasio said earlier this week.
Eight people have been arrested in connection with the murder. Theyāre all allegedly members of the Trinitarios gang.
Father Jonathan Morris said the family of Guzman-Feliz is calling for peace after the murder.
"They're a family full of faith, of courage and of love. Instead of calling for retaliation and vengeance, they've called for - yes justice for Junior and we want that - but justice that does not invite more violence, but rather rejects violence," Morris said.
Photo Credit: Alice Stockton-Rossini