Gone too soon.
It's the message that echoed loud and clear Monday morning as friends and family gathered outside Bishop Timon St. Jude High School to remember Paul Humphrey, 17.
A student and a football player at the school, he was shot and killed Saturday morning.
Another teenager, a West Seneca resident, also was shot but was treated for his injuries and released.
In unison, dozens read a prayer called "Sad, Tired and Angry: A Prayer in the Face of Gun Violence."
The principal spoke of Paul, describing him as a respectful student that had kindness in his face, eyes and smile.
He was killed just after midnight Saturday on Briscoe Avenue in Buffalo.
After getting the news, Joe Licata, the school’s athletic director and football coach, brought the team and alumni together Saturday night, asking everyone to move forward with love, even though they might be angry and asking why this had to happen.
Paul wore the number 2 on his football jersey. In his honor, the team’s new motto moving forward will be “2-gether.”
“I think they’re relying on each other to try to get through this and keep Paul’s memory alive,” he said. “We’re leaning on each other right now. There’s nothing in any manual to teach you how to deal with this stuff.”
In this painful time, Humphrey's family has found comfort in the school and team, which was family to him.
"I spoke to his mother last night, and all she wanted was his white jersey to bury him in his white jersey and that right there is just very telling and speaks to the power of his brotherhood here and the connections that he made with his teammates and coaches and everybody else," said Licata.
Counselors from multiple districts are available at the school for students, faculty and any one that needs them. They’ll be available throughout the summer and into the upcoming school year if necessary.
Anyone who wishes to donate to Humphrey's family can click here.
No arrests have been made yet in Paul’s death, but anyone with information is asked to call or text the Buffalo Police Department’s confidential tip line, at 716-847-2255.