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Most recently, he had been living with five new siblings including Shaquille Moore, who was planning on adopting him in the near future, PennLive reports.
But Gumby’s bright future with a loving family was shattered when he was shot dead on Saturday, June 18 on North 16th Street in Harrisburg. He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries, police say.
The teen's community is already sharing about it's loss of social media. His sister, Iyanna Puglia, writes in part:
"We lost someone who is known as our brother, son, nephew, cousin and friend; to a bullet that wasn’t even meant for him. His name is Demarao Alexander Gumby Jr. and he just turned 15 on May 31st. He is loved by many of us and this unexpected tragic event has left a lot of us devastated. As his family we wish to provide a memorable funeral in honor of the life he lived. To cherish the smiles and laughter he brought to our faces."
Puglia went on to share a link to a GoFundMe campaign page by Tychea Johnson— which is one of two GoFundMe campaigns raising funds to cover the funeral costs. The second GoFundMe campaign page was started by his namesake, DeMarao Gumby.
The two GoFundMe campaigns have raised over $3,000 of a combined $12,000 goal as of Tuesday, June 21.
Gumby Jr. loved playing video he's and spending time with his friends; he survived by his foster and birth families as well as his classmates and friends, according to social media.
The investigation into this deadly shooting was ongoing. A Crime Stoppers reward may be offered for "eligible for information pertaining to this investigation," police say.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Harrisburg Police, at 717-558-6900.
Click here and here to donate to the GoFundMe campaigns.
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