Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

At Parkland’s Final Funeral, Martin Duque Remembered For Helping Others ‘Feel Loved’

A mourner wears a T-shirt in tribute to Martin Duque, a victim of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High at his funeral on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018.
C.M. GUERRERO
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

When Martin Duque was in middle school and saw a classmate struggling to fit in, the “always smiling” teenager tried to make him feel welcomed.

“He quickly became one of my greatest friends — no question,” a teary-eyed Jose Hoyos told the Miami Herald on Sunday. Hoyos had moved to Parkland from Mexico nearly three years ago and attended Westglades Middle School with Duque, also a native Mexican.

“Martin knew what it was like, so he approached me, taught me some English, invited me to play soccer and introduced me to some friends. He didn’t ask any questions. He just wanted to make me feel at home, loved and accepted,” said Hoyos, who eventually moved on to high school with Duque. “I’ll never forget his friendship.”

Read more at our news partner, the Miami Herald

Copyright 2020 WLRN 91.3 FM. To see more, visit .

Monique O. Madan