Teen walking to Boone High dies after being shot

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.(FOX 35 WOFL) - The Boone High School community and the Orlando neighborhood surrounding it are mourning the loss of Alexandro Vargas Martinez.  

Orange County Sheriffs deputies say the 15-year-old boy was walking to school this morning along Waldo Street around 6:30 Tuesday morning when he was shot multiple times.  Frank Skinner was sitting outside his front door when heard trouble.

“At first I heard one. I thought it was a mortar, and then 5 more followed,” said Skinner.  

Seconds later he says he heard a car speeding off, but he did not see it.  Skinner ran inside and asked his family to call 911.   He says he heard the boy screaming. 

Within minutes, neighbors say their street was surrounded in crime scene tape, detectives were knocking on their doors looking for leads and several deputy K-9s were sniffing for clues.  Crime scene investigators placed nine yellow markers different objects in the road, collecting them as potential evidence as neighbors watched in disbelief.

Students tell The News Station that Vargas-Martinez was a nice, smart, polite, young man who everybody loved.  A school employee described the teenager as someone who was very in tune with those around him, always finding a way to genuinely compliment people to make them feel better about themselves.  

According to a neighbor, Vargas Martinez works part time at a local grocery store.  His aunt provided FOX 35 with recent pictures and said “Alex” was a true sweetheart.  She says he was on the phone with his mom at the time he was attacked.

Jason Widt says he heard 10 gunshots.  He’d never met Vargas Martinez, but feels for his family.  

“It’s heartbreaking. I’m not going to lie, a few tears were shed already down the street.”

After the last bell rang Tuesday, students began stopping by the spot where Vargas Martinez was killed.  Some left flowers and balloons.  Others left teddy bears and candles. Everyone is asking the same two questions: who would do this and why?

The Florida Sheriffs Association is putting up $5,000 making the reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer $10,000.  If you have any information on the murder of Alexandro Vargas Martinez, call CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).