Farewell to 'Junior': Funeral for slain Bronx teen

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - A funeral was held Wednesday for Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, 15, who was brutally murdered by a group of men outside a bodega in the Bronx.

A large crowd packed our Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on East 187th Street for the Catholic mass.

"We are gathered here in shock, silence and pain," the Rev. David Guzman said in Spanish. "Today, a shadow of sadness covers us, Lesandro's family, the Bronx, but also New York City and the whole world."

PHOTOS: FUNERAL FOR LESANDRO GUZMAN-FELIZ

Pallbearers wearing New York Yankees jerseys carried the casket outside to a hearse as hundreds of people outside the church chanted "Justice for Junior!"

Guzman-Feliz was killed last week after being slashed with a machete and stabbed multiple times. Eight suspects have been arrested. Six of them were extradited from New Jersey. The group is believed to be members of the Trinitarios gang.

Guzman-Feliz was a member of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career.

The NYPD posted funeral photos to the department's Facebook with the tribute: "Today, hundreds of police officers and explorers stood shoulder-to-shoulder with New Yorkers to honor NYPD Explorer Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz. Though our hearts are heavy, we will not sleep until there is #JUSTICEFORJUNIOR."

His family has set up the GoFundMe page Justice For Junior to help pay for funeral costs.

With the Associated Press