Nov 9, 2009 11:27 am US/Central
Slain DePaul Student Mourned As Outstanding Leader
Frankie Valencia Was Gunned Down At Humboldt Park Halloween Party
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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DePaul University student Frankie Valencia, 21, was shot and killed at a Halloween Party on Nov. 1, 2009, on Rockwell Street near Wabansia Avenue.
DePaul University
A funeral is being held Monday for DePaul University student Frankie Valencia, who was shot and killed at a party last weekend.
It's a hard day at the school as students are remembering their friend and an outstanding leader.
On Monday morning, students were hustling around campus as normal at DePaul, but there's still a lingering sadness.
"There's an air of sorrow," said student Luke Couzens.
It was just over a week ago that Valencia, 21, was gunned down at a Halloween party in Humboldt Park by an unwanted guest who started firing at random.
Valencia was an R.A., an honors student and active in student life. His loss has impacted the entire campus.
"To know that this is someone who is not going to be there anymore. It definitely affects everyone, I think," Couzens said.
The university sent out an email to students telling them about Monday's arrangements for Valencia. It starts, "with grief in our hearts" and invites all the students to participate.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, it's been a tough week here.
"There was a lot of people crying all over the place," said student Giovanni Perez. "It was just a mess."
And it may take awhile before that goes away.
"I think it's still pretty fresh, especially with the funeral today" said student Katie Raatz. "It affected a lot of people around here."
In one of the eulogies, his godmother is expected to say that Frankie was encouraged to apply to Ivy League schools because of his high GPA, but that he deliberately missed the deadlines so that he could stay in Lincoln Park, where he grew up, and attend DePaul.
Also giving eulogies, a campus priest who knew him well and a friend and mentor who is a DePaul alum.
Narcisco Gatica, 19, and Berly "Billy" Valladares, 21, have since been charged in Valencia's murder. Gatica allegdly fired a TEC-9 semiautomatic weapon at people standing in a gangway outside the party where Valencia died.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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