DENVER — Thirteen-year-old Jayden Hoyle and 14-year-old Adrion Foster were best friends growing up.
“They had great futures in front of them,” said a family member of Foster, who chose to remain anonymous over safety concerns.
The family member says they were heartbroken and shocked to receive the news of the boys' deaths last Friday.
“It's like a piece of your heart that's going to be gone, it's gone,” they said.
Around 6 p.m., two dark colored, mid-sized sedans were traveling southbound next to each other on North Peoria Street south of I-70.
Near the intersection with East 39th Avenue, someone inside one of the vehicles shot into the one containing Hoyle and Foster. After the shooting, that vehicle continued southbound over the bridge there, police said.
The car that Hoyle and Foster were inside then traveled into the northbound lane and collided with a pickup truck headed north. The driver of that vehicle, identified by the medical examiner Monday as 37-year-old Uriel Reyes Medina, died at a local hospital.
Foster and Hoyle were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
“Someone shot [Foster] in the chest and shot [Hoyle] in the torso, and they lost control," said the family member. "If they would have sustained all of it, they could have made it to the hospital, but then they had that terrible accident."
Foster had dreams of becoming a basketball or football player, according to his family. He was touring schools to start college early.
“He was visiting another city and state to attend a different school. He actually was accepted into a junior college," said his family member. "I don't want people to forget Adrion Foster and Jayden Hoyle. Those two guys did not deserve that at all."
The family has set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses. To donate, click here.