Editor’s Word: This story is a part of a collection profiling American youth killed this 12 months by weapons, a number one reason behind demise of youngsters within the US. Learn extra in regards to the venture right here.

CNN
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Raul Rios was the lover of his household.

When he was round, his household says, there was no such factor as quiet. Wherever the 15-year-old went, bursts of laughter adopted, prompted by an off-key rendition of his favourite 90’s R&B traditional, “Sweet Rain,” or a tacky joke he informed utilizing certainly one of his many humorous voices.

His infantile pleasure was as infectious as his smile, which stretched from ear to ear – simply because it did in his child footage – and barely faltered.

“Raul was pure sunshine and love. He was a strolling smile,” mentioned his aunt, Elizabeth Callie Ann Smith, who Raul referred to as Auntie Callie. “He was sort and compassionate, nonjudgmental and unconditional. He was mercy, forgiveness and charm in human kind.”

He beloved every thing that sparked happiness, his household says – random dancing, singing on the high of his lungs, studying methods on his skateboard. However greater than something, his life revolved round his household. For your complete 12 months earlier than he was killed, Raul by no means skipped a weekday with out waking up early to drop off his 5-year-old cousin Leif at college, propping him up between his bicycle’s handles.

One other cousin, Beverly, says she remembers him as her greatest good friend, who would drop every thing he was doing to assist her when she went by psychological well being crises.

Within the Milwaukee neighborhood the place he was killed, Raul was well-known for befriending all of the little children, who adored him as a lot as he adored them. Once they weren’t throwing round a soccer, he was taking them to the nook retailer and shopping for them sweets.

Raul is certainly one of greater than 1,300 youngsters and youths killed by a gun to date in 2023, as firearms stay the highest reason behind demise for US youth, in accordance with the Gun Violence Archive and federal knowledge. When Raul was fatally shot in July, the tragedy shattered his household, leaving a gaping wound of excruciating sorrow in all of the areas he used to fill. Police informed CNN they nonetheless haven’t recognized a suspect.

Raul has left behind a mom who has slept each evening since together with his urn, a cousin laying awake on the underside of their shared bunk mattress, the place Raul’s high bunk will stay empty perpetually, a sister who can’t look out of her window with out seeing the constructing the place her child brother was killed.

“We nonetheless see him, in each room, each hallway, each porch,” Carlos Arroyo-Cummings, an uncle who Raul lived with in Evansville, Wisconsin, alongside together with his mother and cousins, informed CNN. “His room continues to be because it was, his garments.”

“He nonetheless has a profile on a online game right here. He nonetheless has the profile on the TV right here,” his aunt, Bobbi Bennett, added. “Issues that may by no means change.”

Learn different profiles of youngsters who’ve died from gunfire

Raul was killed on July 25, a Tuesday afternoon, because the blistering summer time solar started its dip into golden hour. He was spending the summer time together with his sister, Millicent Rios, and his three nephews.

The very last thing Millicent Rios remembers seeing that day was her brother, smiling as at all times, heading to the nook retailer to get treats for the neighborhood youngsters.

Inside 20 minutes, law enforcement officials had swarmed the neighborhood and blocked a constructing throughout the road with police tape. One neighbor informed Rios it was her brother. To this present day, the small print surrounding his killing are unclear.

On August 31, the Milwaukee County District Legal professional’s workplace issued a warrant for an 18-year-old suspect who’s being charged with reckless murder and use of a harmful weapon, in accordance with courtroom paperwork.

Raul’s cousins and nephews have struggled to deal with his demise, Rios says. Troy, who additionally thought of Raul his greatest good friend, “just about fell aside” and nonetheless struggles to depart the home – even for varsity.

“I used to be planning on having him the entire summer time and making reminiscences,” she informed CNN. “And now it’s like, time type of stopped and is transferring ahead on the identical time. I hear children taking part in outdoors and it simply makes me unhappy, as a result of Raul would have been on the market taking part in with the youngsters.”

Again residence in Evansville the home that after vibrated together with his laughter sits nonetheless, unfamiliarly quiet.

“I feel it’s gonna be actually exhausting…when college comes again in session for Leif, the 5 12 months previous, to not be taken to highschool by Raul anymore,” Bennett mentioned. “Xavial, his cousin who shared the bunk mattress with him, didn’t go outdoors for a very long time. He just about was sitting in that room for weeks.”

Xavial and Raul have been so shut they have been like brothers, the household says, one was hardly ever seen with out the opposite by his aspect. They walked to and from college collectively, spent each afternoon driving bikes round their neighborhood and ended every night on the porch with Raul’s mother, the place all of them talked about their day, laughed and danced collectively.

“I miss my brother, man,” Xavial, 15, mentioned. “We stayed up late nights, laughing, joking round, and speaking about what we needed our future life to be like. I cry generally, I attempt to not, however I damage. He was an excellent individual, he would attempt to assist folks in the event that they wanted assist, and in the event that they didn’t need assistance, he’d nonetheless ask.”

To put Raul to relaxation, his household spent all the cash that they had – leaving them struggling to verify the opposite youngsters have what they want, together with garments and faculty provides.

“They not solely took our child however put our different youngsters in a spot and hardship in life additionally. It’s unhappy all the best way across the board,” Bennett mentioned.

“It seems like part of us is lacking,” she added. “A part of the household is lacking, a part of our each day life is lacking. Making an attempt to grieve for 3 different youngsters within the residence that lived with him, and attempting to assist his mom transfer by it, is basically exhausting.”

CNN reached out to Raul’s mother and father however they declined to remark.

Though Raul was near everybody in his household, his mom held essentially the most particular place in his coronary heart. He would do something for her, his household says. Once they have been aside, even for brief durations of time, Raul struggled to battle the intuition to right away run again to his mother.

“She calls his telephone each evening and leaves a voicemail each morning and each evening,” Bennett mentioned. “She sleeps with the urn, proper subsequent to her. It’s tough. There’s instances the place she’s simply crying, Raul, Raul, Raul.”

Raul didn’t know tips on how to be something however sort. He was harmless – too harmless, his household says – within the candy, naive manner most kids are. He didn’t perceive harmful locations, didn’t imagine in harmful folks.

His ending – regardless of its unjust brutality – has not dimmed the sunshine he left behind, each place marked by his presence nonetheless buzzing together with his vitality.

The Raul that lives within the reminiscences of those that love him isn’t a tragic one.

It’s the Raul who at all times wore his girlfriend’s “delinquent” hoodie and biked together with his cousin to their reverend’s storage, the place they watched him repair scooters and listened to him speak about God.

The Raul they keep in mind is the giggly child, and {the teenager} he grew into, sitting beside his uncle on the eating room desk each night, the pair bonding over sophisticated math equations and tales of historical historical past.

Raul beloved water, particularly lakes the place he might dive off rocks and seashores the place he lay within the sand, staring up on the sky, misplaced in conversations together with his sister.

It’s the Raul who beloved leaping on trampolines at Skyzone, filmed TikToks dancing together with his cousin Rosalie in the midst of grocery retailer aisles, and was at all times in control of the music taking part in throughout automotive rides.

Once they miss him, his nephews sit on the identical stoop Raul used to hang around on, his head bopping to the 90’s music blaring from his headphones because the neighborhood’s youngsters waited impatiently for his consideration.

He isn’t there now – solely flowers and a photograph of him the place he used to sit down – however as they commerce reminiscences of Raul, his nephews can’t assist however smile. And for a second, it’s as if he’s by no means left.