18-Year-Old Lawrence Student Killed In Overnight Shooting

LAWRENCE (CBS) – A teenager shot and killed in Lawrence early Wednesday morning is being remembered by friends and family as hard-working and funny.

Police were called to the intersection of Crescent and Forest streets around 1:45 a.m. They found 18-year-old Juan Espinal of Lawrence had been shot. He died at the scene.

There have been no arrests.

Espinal's friends and family gathered at the scene Wednesday morning to light candles and pay their respects.

"He didn't deserve it," one friend told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens. "And they wonder why we carry guns ... we're not safe."

"He didn't deserve this," said one friend. "He was working, a hard-working man. He was trying to get his mom a new apartment. He was trying to do it for his sister, for his little brother."

Julissa Espinal told WBZ-TV's Chantee Lans she couldn't believe her cousin was gone.

"I want people to come out," Julissa said. "I want people to know this is not okay, and it happens a lot."

A man who lives nearby told reporters he heard "7 or 8 shots" but it "could have been more."

"I heard numerous shots with a brief pause in between each shot, and then there was a long pause and then a few more shots," he said.

Police were canvassing the area and searching for forensic evidence Wednesday morning.

"Whether it's drug-related or just a fight, a girl, or whatever, it saddens me that life is not taken to be valued anymore," said one woman who lives in the neighborhood.

A truck that may have been related to the shooting was towed from the scene around 8 a.m.

Police have not yet released a motive.

"As far as I know, he didn't have problems," said friend Ariel Toribia. "But I guess he had problems, because they started shooting at him. They shot to kill."

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports

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