RICHMOND, Va. -- More than a hundred people gathered at Chimborazo Park in Richmond on Monday night to remember the life of a 17-year-old boy who was found dead in a trash can in the city's East End.
The body of 17-year-old Tamel Durant was found on October 19 in a Fairfield Court trash can. Richmond Police said the Armstrong High School senior had been shot to death hours earlier.
On Friday, Tamel's grieving father told CBS 6 that he had moved his son from Brooklyn to Richmond at the height of the pandemic in 2020 so he could have more opportunities.
"I need your prayers, that you pray for our family," Tamel's grandfather said at the vigil.
On Monday night, both of Tamel's parents stood before the crowd, unable to find the words to express their pain.
"I want my brother to know that we are here for you. We've suffered a great loss. This right here is devastating," Tamel's uncle said.
Tamel's death follows a string of other homicides in the city involving young people, a trend that has prompted police and city leaders to speak out.
"When are we going to come together and make this a safe neighborhood, a safe city for every child?" Cheryl Burke, a member of the Richmond Public School board, said.
While no arrests have been made in Tamel's death, it is believed that two other teenagers are involved, according to Crime Insider sources.
For now, Tamel's family said they are leaning on their community for strength and answers.
"He wanted to be in Virginia to be with his father. He wasn't a street kid, he wasn't violent, he wasn't a gangster or criminal. He came from a happy home," Tamel's uncle said.
