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Mendell Reginald Paul Butler-Lebel

Age 17

Miramar, Florida

Shot one day after turning 17

He had a 3.7 GPA and sometimes sat in on court proceedings; he aspired to be a lawyer. “He was not in any gangs, he was not about that life,” his mother said.

On July 2, 2018, he was in the parking lot of his apartment complex in Miramar, Florida. The day before, he’d turned 17. A car went by. 

Mendell Reginald Paul Butler-Lebel was shot in the back and died. A $15,000 reward was raised to find his killer. A tribute video titled “YDC - Squad I Trust” received more than 3,000 views in four months.

By Sara Stemmler · Age 16
Meet the Reporters

More than 100 diligent students

Ryan Amadeo Dela Cruz

Gone, two weeks shy of graduation

Jo'Markius Fuller

Never to wear grandma’s scarves again

Lorenzo Moore-Vaughn

About to start his senior year

Shondricka J'Nay Adams

Celebrating one night, gone the next

Jayden Fondeur

His older brother found him first

Jontae Billups-Brooks

An athlete and a music lover

Caydence Nicole Painter

Reading, dancing, playing. Siblings shot together.

Favian Isiah Carrillo Duran

Respectful, shy teen did grandma’s chores

Telvin Goll

He wished for the American Dream

Amariah C. Emery

On her T-shirt, a peace sign

Jon-Marvin Revels Jacobs

He was on his way home

Christopher Johnson

Making others better versions of themselves

Xzariah Denecca Rice

Her father died in her arms

Martez Christopher Wade

“He wasn’t a statistic,” said mom

NeQuacia Porsha Jacobs-Lewis

High school graduation, diploma, career — gone

Jonathan David Freeman Jr.

Debated anything, from music to Deflategate

Kevin Wilson Jr.

Star athlete with a bright future

Kaileigh Lin Collier

Was “more beautiful than she knew”

Martin Duque Anguiano

An ambitious, bright boy, senselessly killed

Francisco Puentes

Mom never received the happy news