WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderFamily of man killed at Halloween party speaks out

Family of man killed at Halloween party speaks out

By Katie Nilsson

ROCKFORD (WREX) - A Rockford family talks about the ultimate loss, a young man,  gunned down over the weekend.

16-year-old Deangelo Link and 19-year-old Nathan Melendez-Torrance both died after a shooting at a Halloween partya t 814 Kilburn Avenue.  Nathan's family feels like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.    "He was a mischievous child, like most children are. He went to school and when he went to school he'd usually come here after school."

Pearline torrance adopted Nathan when he was just 4 years old.  He grew up in her home. She found out about the shooting and his death from another relative.  "Well, it's been really upsetting and I don't now I feel really bad about it, the rest of the family is grieving."

Police are still piecing together information about what actually happened that night.   One of Nathan's best friends, who was with him says it all started over a dice game.  David Jones still can't believe the young man he calls his "brother" isn't here anymore.  "It all comes down to that he gone, somebody else did you know over some bull basically. That's what it is and he lost his life because no reason at all there's not a reason."

Both Pearline and David say Nathan didn't know the other teen, Deangelo Link.  They also say as far as they know Nathan was not in a gang.  "If he was, he kept it out of my house, I never heard nothing about him being in a gang."

A trust fund to pay for Nathan's funeral has been set up at Associated Bank.  No one has been arrested for the weekend's murders yet.