Andy Lopez Update: Memorial service for Calif. teen killed while carrying toy rifle draws more than 1,000 people
(CBS/AP) WINDSOR, Calif. - More than 1,000 people turned out for a service to remember a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed last week by a sheriff's deputy in Northern California.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that hundreds of mourners wore white Sunday at the request of the mother of Andy Lopez, who was killed Oct. 22.
She told the paper the color represents the angel he is and was.
Only about 150 people could fit into the viewing service at a Windsor mortuary, and a long line of people waited outside to pay their respects.
Authorities say Lopez was carrying a pellet gun that looked like an AK-47 assault rifle, when he was ordered to drop the weapon, but instead pointed it towards officers who then opened fire and killed him.
A preliminary autopsyreport released Thursday said Lopez was shot seven times, and the two fatal wounds were in his right hip and the right side of his chest.
The deputies, who have not been identified, have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard after a shooting, officials said. Assistant Sheriff Lorenzo Duenas told the Press Democrat that the deputy who shot the teen is a 24-year veteran and his partner, who did not fire his weapon, is a new hire.
The shooting has generated numerous protests and marches in Santa Rosa, with many residents questioning the deputy's decision to fire on the youth.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said they are conducting an independent investigation of the shooting.
Santa Rosa is about 50 miles northwest of San Francisco in California's wine country.