Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges come together for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostA balloon rests on the ground with messages to the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges during a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges gather for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges throw their hands in the air as a sign of solidarity during a vigil at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges gather for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges gather for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges throw their hands in the air as a sign of solidarity during a vigil at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges gather for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges gather for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges gather for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
- Rachel Ellis, The Denver PostFamily and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges release balloons in his honor during a vigil Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
Rachel Ellis, The Denver Post
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Family and friends of the late Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges come together for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
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By The Denver Post | newsroom@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
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By Rachel Ellis, The Denver Post
Family and friends of Xaviyar Lawrence Sturges came together for a vigil in his honor at Bicentennial Park in Aurora Friday, June 26, 2020. Sturges, 17, was shot to death in Rocky Ridge Park on East Mississippi Avenue during a large informal Juneteenth gathering.
Read more: Family identifies teenager killed at Juneteenth celebration in Aurora