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."
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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.
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"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.