BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Efrain Escobar had a lot more to give.
He was 16 years old, involved in sports and was a role model to his 8-year-old brother.
“He was a great kid,” his father Raul Escobar said. “He played sports, he played football, wrestled, he boxed.”
Efrain wanted to play football in college. Before that time came, he enjoyed teaching his little brother how to do the same activities he was involved in as he wanted to follow in his footsteps, the father said.
“He had a bright future ahead of him, I don’t know why somebody would want to do this to him.”
Efrain was shot and killed at a QT gas station early Saturday morning in Buckeye.
The victim’s father said he found out about the shooting when his son's friends called him and told him something was wrong.
“I pull up to the scene to the QT and I see my son lying there, a cop tells me he [had] passed away,” Raul Escobar said.
He said that news turned his world upside-down.
Raul Escobar became a single dad at 18 years old, which created a special bond between him and his older son.
“He’s been with us since he was two,” Raul Escobar said. “Like we grew up together, he’s my son but kind of like my little brother. We like the same music and even share the same shoes.”
Teen accused of killing his ex’s new 16-year-old boyfriend
Efrain was out with his girlfriend when he was fatally shot just before 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Buckeye Police investigators reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed multiple witnesses following the shooting.
Their investigation revealed 17-year-old Eric Anthony Buchanan Silva, the ex of Efrain's girlfriend, had allegedly shot him multiple times before he fled the scene near Yuma and Watson roads.
With assistance from the Department of Public Safety and Phoenix air units, detectives located Buchanan Silva near 99th Avenue and Thomas Road around 3 p.m. Police said he was taken into custody without incident.
“He shot my son from behind, like from his back,” Raul Escobar said. “So he didn’t even have a chance to defend himself.”
Buchanan Silva has been charged with first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, unlawful discharge of a firearm, and disorderly conduct with a weapon.
As the victim’s father now tries to be strong for his 8-year-old son, he wants justice.
“You know, I want him to rot in jail,” Raul Escobar said. “He took my son’s life, he took him from us and he didn’t deserve this… he didn’t deserve it.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses and they are planning to hold a candlelight vigil on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Holiday Park to honor his memory.
“He touched a lot of souls, we are grateful for all the support,” Efrain's father said.
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