Miami Edison High School Student Shot & Killed In Miami

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A 16-year-old was shot and killed in the middle of the street overnight.

The victim's mom identified the victim as Jarvis Henderson.

His principal at Miami Edison Senior H.S., Try Diggs, told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "We are very sad. We feel like Miami Edison has lost a son. It's a very untimely death. I have a daughter myself and every time you lose a child it is a difficult day."

Police said they responded to North Miami Avenue and NE 59th Terrace in Little Haiti around midnight. When they arrived, they found the teen with a gunshot wound to the head.

The teen was visiting his girlfriend, talking to her outside, when a passenger inside a car drove by and opened fire.

"A vehicle drove up. The passenger of the vehicle apparently shot at the victim, striking him in the head," said City of Miami Police Officer Frederica Burden.

Maria Agnant-Cadet, Henderson's girlfriend's mother, heard the gunshots. She said her daughter, who has been dating the victim for about a year, witnessed her boyfriend die right in front of her.

"She's crying. She laid down on the body crying saying 'wake up, wake up'…" said Agnant-Cadet.

CLICK HERE To Watch Peter D'Oench's Report 

Henderson, a junior at Miami Edison Senior High School, was in the band, the school district said. His mother, devastated by the loss, said her son was a straight-A student who had a scholarship to college and was just apply to his first job.

"He never bothered anybody. He always tried to help his friends and he's just a good person," Lesheika Henderson said. "He was an A student. He was trying to get a full scholarship to go to college that he chose. He was going to get a job soon at Publix."

"He's a good young man, he don't get in any trouble," said Laura Rogers, the victim's family friend.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tweeted Thursday morning in response to the shooting.

Waking up once again w/heavy heart after news that another one of our children has been murdered. When will open season on our youth end?

— Alberto M. Carvalho (@MiamiSup) April 16, 2015

Many classmates and parents at Edison are heartbroken, remembered the 11th grader as a respectful young man who kept to himself.

"I'm sad," said ninth grader Sherry Pierre. "He was a nice guy. He was in the band."

Ninth grader Joanna Raphael told D'Oench, "He was really young. He had a bunch of dreams and goals. And he didn't make it home. That's what shocks me the most."

Another ninth grader, Matthew James, said, "It kind of got to me. Everyone talked to him. He used to bring me up. He was a good person."

Ninth grader Deborah Cyrille said, "I am at a loss for word. He was so young. He was just 16."

Principal Diggs said, "Jarvis was a very respectful young man. He had a contagious smile. He was in great academic standing at Miami Edison and was in the band."

"Everybody knew him for being a quiet person. Someone that doesn't bother anyone. To lose his life on the way he just lost his life is not fair," said Sandra Smith, the victim's friend.

Crisis counselors are at Edison High to help the students in shock. They also wrote notes of condolence on a poster.

Grief counselor and school psychologist Frank Zenere said, "Each time we lose a child to violence, we lose a piece of our heart. That is very difficult to reconcile. So we're talking to children about not only what they lost but what could be. It's a very difficult issue to deal with."

Zenere said counselors would also be at the school on Friday.

Detectives said they don't believe the teen was targeted, and it may have been a case of mistaken identity.

"What I want is for people to understand that we are losing young men to gun violence and we as a community, not just the police department, have to stop that," said Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes. "There has to be someone out there with information we are not receiving. We encourage anyone listening to please come forward.

"There are people who are outraged about this and voicing their outrage. The biggest hurdle is not the community. It's the communication between the community and police. Lately we have been losing our youth to gun violence so we are stepping up efforts to reach out to the community and asking for cooperation," said Llanes.

Lesheika Henderson said, "If anyone knows anything or has seen anything, can you please come forward."

Police have a description of the car they are looking for but have not released the information yet.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.