A 15-year-old boy was fatally stabbed Friday afternoon during a brawl outside an elementary school in El Monte, California. The victim has been identified by family as Aziel Zacapala, a student athlete at Rosemead High School.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials stated that hospital personnel alerted them to three stabbing victims arriving at an emergency room around 1 p.m. Zacapala was pronounced dead at the hospital. Two other victims, identified as adult males, are in stable condition. Investigators are working to determine if more than one suspect was involved and have not yet released a suspect description.
It remains unclear what led to the fight or why Zacapala was near Petrero School at the time of the incident. Zacapala's uncle, Daniel Aguilar, described him as a promising student and a dedicated football player with aspirations of reaching the NFL. Aguilar stated that Zacapala was a "beloved nephew, friend, son, and high school football player/great friend" who had a "positive spirit." He also mentioned that Zacapala had a single mother raising him and two younger siblings, including a newborn.
Community Support and Fundraising
A GoFundMe page established by Zacapala's uncle to assist his mother with funeral costs and living expenses has surpassed its initial fundraising goal, raising over $18,000 as of Sunday. Aguilar noted that Zacapala's mother is currently unemployed and relies on Instacart deliveries to support her family.
The family noted that Zacapala had been spending time with his football friends at a Fourth of July event at his high school less than a week before the stabbing. His uncle expressed that Zacapala's absence leaves a significant void in their family and community.