The family of 17-year-old Xavier Navarez, who was on the brink of graduating high school, is grappling with loss after his alleged killer has been arrested.

James Walker, 33, has been charged with murder and manslaughter in connection to the deadly shooting that occurred in the Bronx.

While the motives behind the shooting and Walker’s relationship to Navarez remain unclear, the teenager’s family is desperate for answers. “The answers to those questions are not going to bring their loved one back,” they lamented.

Xavier Navarez was looking forward to a bright future. Just a month prior to the shooting, he celebrated a milestone by taking graduation photos and was in the process of launching his own clothing business.

“He was so excited to start that, looking at fabrics, threads, materials, all types of different things to get him going and started,” shared his brother, Gabriel Maldonado.

The heartbreaking incident unfolded on Saturday night around 9:30 p.m. on Oak Terrace in Mott Haven, less than a mile from Xavier’s home. Police reported that he was shot in the back multiple times. Witnesses described the harrowing aftermath, with one woman recalling, “The cop took over, and the cop kept doing compressions. It’s hurtful. How can you see someone like that?”

The anguish was evident as family and close friends gathered at the building where Navarez once lived, struggling to cope with the sudden loss.

“He didn’t deserve that. No one deserves that. He had so much to live for,” Maldonado expressed.

“It’s too emotional right now. It don’t feel real,” added friend Fern Bernard, as tears filled the eyes of many in attendance. Xavier’s sister was too overcome with grief to speak, but those who knew him were united in their remembrance of a promising young man. “Xavier has always been the funny kid, smart,” stated his aunt, Olga Mulcahey-Baez. “He was excited about what was coming.”

Bernard poignantly remarked, “It’s unfortunate his life was taken so soon.” Despite the heartache, those who loved Xavier vow that he will never be forgotten.

“We are going to miss him and he will always be missed. We love him,” Bernard declared, ensuring that Navarez’s memory will live on in the hearts of those who cherished him.