15-year-old Milwaukee boy dies at bus stop, on his way to school: 'He was a very kind kid.'
Jose Lopez is keeping a close eye on his four daughters as he mourns the lose of his son, 15-year-old Nelson Manuel Lopez-Correa.
Lopez knows he needs to be strong for his children who are still alive and who are in shock over their brother's murder.
"He was a very kind kid," Lopez told the Journal Sentinel. "He was really loved by a lot of people."
Lopez-Correa was shot on Oct. 28 and died three days later at Children's Wisconsin. Prosecutors filed charges against Christian Martin, 18, of Milwaukee. An arrest warrant was issued for him Monday.
Lopez said the family is meeting with police on Wednesday and he is hoping for positive updates. He wants Martin to be found and arrested.
Lopez said his son had a passion for basketball and liked football. He looked forward to getting a job at the airport when he turned 16, where he could work with a friend.
He was well-liked at school and in the community, evidenced by the number of friends and teachers who attended his funeral last week, Lopez said.
His father said his son made one mistake. He was hanging out with the "wrong crowd."
The events leading to his death began while Lopez-Correa and two friends, a girl he was either dating or close with, according to Lopez-Correa's dad, and another boy were walking to a bus stop on the 1600 block of West Forest Home Avenue, according to the criminal complaint.
On the way, the three noticed a man in dark clothing with a ski mask on − later identified as Martin − who had previously dated the girl Lopez-Correa was close with or dating.
The girl told police she had known Martin since July but they had broken up because of their age difference. They had talked as recently as Oct. 27, the day before the shooting, according to the complaint.
The girl and Martin argued, as Lopez-Correa and the other boy discussed possibly needing to fight Martin. The girl told police she told Martin about how they "cannot be together." At one point, he grabbed her and punched her in the side, according to the complaint.
When they arrived at the bus stop, Lopez-Correa's friend left to run to his aunt's home to check the bus schedule and Lopez-Corea and the girl waited for the bus. Martin stood a few feet away, according to the complaint.
The girl told police she suddenly heard a gunshot and darted away to a gas station, before heading home and then to the police department. Lopez-Corea's friend who had left to check the bus schedule told police he heard a gunshot and saw Lopez-Correa fall to the ground as he was walking back to the bus stop, according to the complaint.
Police would later review security footage that corroborated both their telling of events, according to the complaint.
Jose Lopez said he believes his son's possible relationship with the girl led to the violence, due to Martin's jealousy.
But, right now, Lopez said he is focused on his daughters and keeping them save. He has told them to be mindful of who they talk to and what they post on social media.
"Sometimes the streets could be really ugly, and I just can't afford another tragedy right now," Lopez said.
Lopez-Correa's death was part of a rash of gun violence against Milwaukee youth recently. In a two-week period starting Oct. 14, at least 11 people under the age of 21 were shot.
There have been 118 reported homicides in Milwaukee so far this year, according to police data . That's a 21% decrease from last year at this time and a 37% decrease from 2022.
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