“A BEAUTIFUL, CARING AND LOVING BOY” — FAMILY MOURNS 17-YEAR-OLD XAVIER NUNGARARY

A Los Angeles high school community is mourning the loss of 17-year-old Xavier Nungarary, a senior remembered by his family and classmates as a kind, caring young man who always had a smile.

Xavier died on September 30 after an incident at Benjamin Franklin High School in Highland Park, Los Angeles.

His death has left his family, friends and classmates struggling to understand how a normal school day could end in such heartbreaking circumstances.

“HE WAS A BEAUTIFUL, CARING AND LOVING BOY”

Xavier’s family described him in a fundraiser as a “beautiful, caring and loving boy” who meant so much to the people around him.

They said his passing has left a deep void in the lives of everyone who knew and loved him.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help the family with funeral expenses and the financial burden that followed the tragedy.

The fundraiser has since received widespread support from people wanting to help the family honor Xavier’s life.

 FRIENDS REMEMBER HIS SMILE

For classmates, Xavier was more than the teenager at the centre of a heartbreaking news story.

One fellow senior, Reighdan Rivera-Carrera, said he had known Xavier since the second grade.

He remembered him as someone who was funny, enjoyed laughing at other people’s jokes and was always willing to be there for a friend.

“He was like a good friend,” Rivera-Carrera told PEOPLE. “Like if you needed him to be there for you, he was going to be there for you.”

Another parent whose daughter knew Xavier described him as a very nice and quiet kid.

WHAT HAPPENED AT SCHOOL?

Xavier’s death occurred during the school day on September 30.

Videos circulating online appear to show an altercation between two students inside a classroom shortly before Xavier went toward a fourth-floor corridor.

Multiple reports say a teacher appeared to be trying to separate the students.

Authorities are aware of the videos, but investigators have not publicly established every detail of what happened or confirmed the exact connection between the confrontation and Xavier’s death.

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the incident as a death investigation.

Police have said there is currently no evidence of foul play, while continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the death.

 HIS FAMILY HAD SPOKEN ABOUT BULLYING

Xavier’s family has also raised concerns about bullying.

His stepmother told reporters that he had experienced bullying during high school and had been hesitant to speak up because, according to the family, he feared that he might be punished rather than the person responsible.

Those statements are part of the family’s account, while investigators continue examining what happened immediately before Xavier’s death.

The authorities have not publicly released a final account assigning responsibility for the incident.

 A SCHOOL COMMUNITY IN MOURNING

A vigil was held outside Franklin High School on October 1.

Students, parents and members of the Highland Park community gathered with candles, flowers and photographs to remember Xavier.

For many students, the tragedy has also raised painful questions about how quickly an ordinary day at school can change.

The Los Angeles Unified School District brought grief counselors and mental-health professionals onto campus to support students and staff affected by the loss.

A LIFE REMEMBERED FOR KINDNESS

As the investigation continues, those who knew Xavier are trying to make sure the final headlines about him do not become the only story people remember.

His family wants people to remember a son who was loved.

His classmates remember a friend who could make them laugh.

And those who knew him say he was quiet, caring and someone who would be there when another person needed him.

That is the Xavier they want the world to remember. “HE MEANT SO MUCH TO THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM”

Xavier was only 17 years old.

He should have been preparing for graduation, thinking about the future and making memories with the friends he had grown up with.

Instead, his family is now planning his funeral while his classmates try to process his loss.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not released a final explanation of the circumstances surrounding his death.

But amid the questions, one message from his family remains clear:

Xavier was deeply loved.

He was a son.

A friend.

A classmate.

And, in the words of his family, a beautiful, caring and loving boy whose absence has left an enormous hole behind.

REST IN PEACE, XAVIER. YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.