‘No one deserves to die that way’: Community mourns 3 young men killed in Tuesday shooting – Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register

Family and friends released green star and red heart balloons into the sky over the parking lot of Golden West High School Wednesday evening.

As the balloons drifted away from the crowd of mourners, a mother wept for her son, who was killed Tuesday night, along with two other young men.

"Fly high, my baby, fly high,"Nikkole Rule-Balderama cried. "Take care of each other, watch over each other."

Her son,Isaiah Rule, was 18.

Rule,Jose Carlos Hernandez Pena, 19, and Blake Medeiros, 19, died Tuesday after they were shot during an incident that ended in the Golden West parking lot.

Family and friends of shooting victims gather Wednesday at Golden West High School. A shootout the night before left Jose Carlos Hernandez Pena, 19, Isaiah Rule, 18, and Blake Medeiros, 19, dead at the scene.(Photo: Ron Holman)

Police have released few details of the triple homicide investigation. No suspect or motive has been disclosed, and no arrests have been made.

The victims were not currently Visalia Unified School District students, according to police.

Wednesday afternoon,a small group set up amemorial in the high school parking lot with teddy bears, prayer candles and photos. They returned Wednesday evening when about 130friends and relativesgrieved together.

Destiny Martinez's friendship with Medeiros and Rule began more than 10 years ago, at Annie R. Mitchell Elementary School. The threestayed close during their time at Divisadero Middle School and into high school, she said.

She found out her friendshad died after seeing a social media post that said "RIP Blake." She tried to call both Medeiros and Rule. When they didn't answer, she called their mothers.

"It's just it's a sad day," Martinez said. "I never thought I would see RIP next to their names."

Previous: Police release names of men shot, killed in Golden West High School parking lot

Family and friends of shooting victims gather Wednesday at Golden West High School. A shootout the night before left Jose Carlos Hernandez Pena, 19, Isaiah Rule, 18, and Blake Medeiros, 19, dead at the scene.(Photo: Ron Holman)

Medeiros's friend Janelle Navarro alsoset up the memorial. The two had been friends since seventh grade. She found out he died when her sister told her after seeing posts on Snapchat.

"I cried. I freaked out. I didn't believe it," she said.

Medeiros was "a really good guy who got along with everybody; he wasn'ta gangster," Navarro said.

Monique Lopez also attended the gathering Wednesday. Her daughter had been dating Pena, a competitive skateboarder,for nearly a year, she said.

Nikkole Rule-Balderama, mother of Isaiah Rule, left, is surrounded by family and friends during a vigil Wednesday at Golden West High School for shooting victims killed the night before in the parking lot. A shootout the night before left Jose Carlos Hernandez Pena, 19, Isaiah Rule, 18, and Blake Medeiros, 19, dead at the scene.(Photo: Ron Holman)

"It's really hard to believe because he was just a really nice boy," Lopez said. "He was only 19, just barely starting his life."

Pena's death, she said, was "unreal."

"From what we know, they were being chased, or how, how did this happen?" Lopez said. "And then, to be shot to death. No one deserves to die that way."

Anyone with information regarding theinvestigation is asked to callVisalia police anonymously at 713-4738 or DetectiveSegura of the Violent Crimes Unit at 713-4739.

Reach reporter Kyra Haasby emailat khaas@visaliatimesdelta.com or find her onTwitter@kc_haas.

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'No one deserves to die that way': Community mourns 3 young men killed in Tuesday shooting - Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register

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