Tragedy struck the Bronx on Wednesday night, as a 22-year old man was shot and killed while attending a vigil held for his childhood friend Michael Ikoli, who was gunned down nearly a year ago.
Police say Jonathan Lewis came to honor what would have been Ikoli's 25th birthday, when a man approached the scene shooting Ikoli twice in the torso.
Soon after, 18-year old Darrell Patillo was found hiding underneath a car nearby and was arrested.
"It shouldn’t have happened. He was paying his respects for his friend. We don’t know why he killed my son. We don't," Lewis's mother Cynthia Shields cried.
Lewis was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, the same hospital Ikoli was taken to a year ago, where he was declared dead.
In 2004, Ikoli was wrongfully accused of murdering 21-year old Lionel Bynoe Jr. outside a roller-skating rink. Ikoli served five years in prison, until in 2009, a jury finally acquitted Ikoli of all charges.
Upon his release, Ikoli told The Daily News, "I grew up in here. I lost my whole teenage and childhood for something I didn't do."
Both a police source and a woman who says she was Ikoli's sister say the two murders of the young men are not linked, but an investigation continues.
Ikoli's gunman is still at large.