The Sayreville community gathered Saturday night to grieve the 9-year-old boy who was found dead in a burning car.
Dozens of people came out to the vigil at the Veterans Field behind Borough Hall in a show support for the family
This event was organized quickly just days after the crime that rocked the whole community.
Organizers said this event was as much for his classmates as it was for the family.
"We needed to have something the kids can come to and try to understand because they're not going to be able to understand, but just to try and understand, and what happened and where their friend is going to be Monday," said Jamie Pinckney, co-president of the Woodrow Wilson PTO.
The incident which residents say has torn apart the community brought everyone to the vigil to grieve together and remember a boy who impacted so many people.
"This community is very close knit. A tragedy like this happens, everybody is grieving, everybody's hurting and we're going to get through this together," said Sayreville Police Lt. James Novak.
The 9-year-old was a student at Woodrow Wilson Elementary. People who knew him described him as a star athlete who played basketball, baseball and football on Veterans Field.
Vice President of the Junior Bombers Football League Jose Curbelo said this is a devestating loss for the team.
"He just won the third and fourth grade championship. He was an all-star. He told me after the game he could beat me in basketball and he couldn't wait to play again. He's just an outstanding kid. Great student. Just really what a kid should be and he's going to be greatly missed," he said.
The boy's team said they will make jerseys with his name and number to honor his legacy.
The boy's father was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree aggravated arson, and endangerment of a child in connection to the case.
