The Syracuse community and city leaders on Wednesday struggled to come to terms with the tragic death of Brexialee Torres Ortiz, an 11-year-old girl who was killed in a drive-by shooting on Oakwood Avenue.

Authorities said Ortiz was shot Monday night while walking home from the Food King with a gallon of milk. The shooting occurred a few hundred feet from Dr. King Elementary School and about a mile from Syracuse University.

A 19-year-old man who was injured in the shooting is expected to survive.

Neighbors, classmates and teachers came together at vigils held Tuesday and Wednesday evening to remember Ortiz and honor her memory.

Ortiz was a student at Syracuse STEM at Blodgett Middle School, where she was class president. Those who knew her spoke about her positive affect on others, but also what is being done to prevent future tragedies.

“She was always happy. She always had a smile on her face. She was always willing to make everybody else smile," said Samyrie Hernandez, Ortiz's cousin.

Ortiz impacted everyone around her. Family and friends continues to mourn her loss.

“My little cousin was the world to me,” said Hernandez.

While they grieve, Lateef Johnson-Kinsey is trying to find a way to ensure it doesn't happen again. He was named director of the mayor’s office to reduce gun violence in April. His goal is to prevent issues from reaching a boiling point.

“Dealing with the conflict. What happened on that night was definitely a conflict between two individuals," Johnson-Kinsey said. "Gang members or not, it was some kind of conflict that somebody pulled a gun out. Our goal is to resolve conflict before it happens.”

It’s a mission supported by all affected by Ortiz's death. The question is how?

“One part of our program which is going to be important is cognitive behavioral therapy," Johnson-Kinsey said. "In short, it simply is dealing with the root cause. Why is someone behaving like that? Pulling that root cause out to deal with it. The person can’t move forward if the root cause isn’t dealt with."

The ultimate goal is for such tragedies to never happen again.

“I’m going to remember her as probably the best little angel in the world,” Hernandez said.