Devastated family members, friends and loved ones gathered Monday night at a memorial for 16-year-old Joel Mercado who was shot and killed over the weekend at a house party in Covina.

The deadly Aug. 16 incident unfolded at what some reports suggested was a back-to-school house party in the 600 block of East Camellia Drive, near Peachtree Lane that drew more than 100 teenagers, many between the ages of 16 and 18.

Officers with the Covina Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at the location just after 10 p.m., deploying a helicopter over the scene and with K-9 units on the ground.

Paramedics rushed Mercado to a nearby hospital in critical condition where he later succumbed to his injuries and died before family members even knew what happened.

A gun was recovered at the

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