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'We can never bring him back': Uncle of teen killed on Juneteeth describes magnitude of loss

Police said Xaviyar Sturges was shot at a park during a Juneteenth celebration. They are still looking for a suspect.

AURORA, Colo. — The uncle of a teenager killed at a Juneteenth celebration in Aurora said he doesn't think whoever shot his nephew knows the magnitude of what they did.

Xaviyar Sturges, 17, was shot and killed during a Juneteenth celebration at Rocky Ridge Park on Friday, according to the Aurora Police Department (APD). 

RELATED: 17-year-old killed in shooting at Juneteenth celebration in Aurora identified

Sturges' uncle, Taeshaud Jackson, said the teen was always smiling and had great energy.

"Xaviyar was outgoing, he was a great kid, not just saying that because he’s family, genuinely a great kid," Jackson said. "Genuinely he was a great kid, he was a kid that liked the outdoors, liked sports, liked video games like any other regular teenage kid. He was a kid that just had a smile that was worth more than a million words. A smile that could brighten up any room, any time."

Jackson said Sturges was the type of person who was always there when someone was looking for a person to talk to. 

"I don't even think words can really explain the magnitude of the loss, or what was taken away from him, from the people that were around him," he said. "He was an impact on his brothers and sisters, amongst his friends, amongst all of his friends."

Police are still looking for a suspect in the shooting that killed Sturges. 

"Whoever did it, I don’t think they understood the magnitude it has or the effects it has," Jackson said. "We can never bring him back, and that’s the most hurtful thing as far as parents, grandparents, aunties ... that’s the hardest thing right now, that we can’t bring him back."

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Anyone with information about or video of this incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or by visiting metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000. 

Metro Denver Crime Stoppers works by assigning a code to people who anonymously submit a tip. Information is shared with law enforcement, and Crime Stoppers are notified at the conclusion of the investigation. 

From there, an awards committee reviews the information provided and, if the information leads to an arrest, the tipster will be notified. Rewards can be collected using the code numbers received when the tip was originally submitted. 

More information about Metro Denver Crime Stoppers can be found here. 

> Additional Crime Stoppers bulletins can be found here.

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