RELATED: Father shoots son in apparent murder-suicide at Hanford home
"He would sit with other kids to make sure they had a friend. He was just that type of person," said Christy Camara. "No mother and her family should go through such tragedy."
The flames from candles lit up the faces of heartbroken parents, friends, and neighbors who came to honor Wyland Gomes.
Hundreds stood in front of the Hanford Civic Auditorium for a vigil remembering Wyland.
The ceremony came just days after police say Wyland's father, 43-year-old Victor Gomes, shot his son, then turned the gun on himself.
"We're crushed. It's a terrible tragedy. There's a lot of questions we don't have answers to yet," said Alysia Camara Gonzalez, Camara's sister.
"You can't bring sense to a senseless crime. There's never going to be a valid reason for what happened," said Hanford Police Chief Parker Sever.
Family members said Wyland was always smiling.
During the vigil, the family shared what many already knew about Wyland, a caring boy and a friend to everyone who made others smile.
"It's been an honor to be his mother. In this community, we know his memory will live on," said Camara.