MADERA, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — The scene of a brutal crime in Madera turned into a vigil on Thursday night as hundreds showed up to mourn Erick Velazquez.
“He was a very nice man, young man,” mourner Lena Cortez said.
Velazquez was a husband, brother, and father of two young children.
He worked at the Madera Walgreens on Cleveland Avenue, where Cortez knew him for his big smile and kindness.
“Every time I couldn’t find something, I would go ask him, and he would always show me where it was at,” Cortez said.
Velazquez was 29 when he lost his life on Monday night.
It was 30 minutes before closing when investigators say Narciso Fernandez opened fire after driving nearly 80 miles from Pixley.
They believe Fernandez had a “grudge” against large-scale pharmacies.
“For something like this to happen to him without even knowing who that other person was and the person not knowing him, it was just devastating to all of us,” Cortez said.
The attack unfolded in the heart of the city, where many are feeling the pain.
For those who did not know Velazquez by name, they knew his warmth. Several Walgreens customers have told Action News this week they recognized Velazquez’s photo.
“It devastates everybody,” Lena’s husband, Sam Cortez, said. “He was a pleasant young man to talk to. He helped everybody, and we’re a close-knit community.”
That community has now raised over $50,000 for Velazquez’s family.
“Erick’s family deserves every penny that they receive,” Madera Police Chief Gino Chiaramonte said. “To those two children, I hope they can fully fund college and everything. There’s not enough money that we can give that family.”
Prosecutors say the attacker nearly killed other employees. Walgreens sent grief counselors and support staff to the store this week.
Velazquez will be laid to rest on Monday, one week after the attack and just miles from the community that loves him so much.
“It was that connection,” Lena Cortez said. “You just felt that he could be my son, he could be my grandson.”
There will be another fundraiser at the Walgreens on Cleveland Avenue on Sunday.
The local Elks Lodge will sell lunch to benefit Velazquez’s family.
