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‘He didn't deserve this': Family says of victim killed in Fort Collins double murder

Posted at 8:22 PM, Oct 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-23 19:10:50-04

FORT COLLINS, Colo – The family of one of the victims shot and killed in the Fort Collins double homicide is trying to move forward.

Three days after Savannah Mcnealy, a 22-year-old senior at Colorado State University, and Tristian Kemp, 26, of Destin, Fla., were shot and killed by Michael Zamora, 30, of Fort Collins, the family of one of the victims says they're still grieving the loss, but are also working to bring Kemp back home to Guam. 

Denver7 spoke with Thomas Perez, Kemp's uncle, who said the family has set up a GoFundMe account to gather the funds to bring his body back.

“Tristian would tell jokes all the time,” Perez said. “He would just do that. Like, one time he walked out of the airport and started acting like a movie star. He was just a great person, a funny kid, and always knew how to put a smile on someone’s face."

Right now, Perez said the family still has a lot of questions about what happened that Thursday morning.

“We just don’t understand what happened this time,” Perez said. “Because he goes out with friends all the time.”  

On Thursday, Perez got a call from one of his sisters about what happened.

“She told me, then she asked me to do something,” Perez said. “She asked me to go home and tell my mom and dad that their grandson is dead. That is probably the single hardest thing I ever had to do.”

Perez said Kemp completed his service with the U.S. Air Force and even did several tours in Afghanistan.

Perez said Kemp enjoyed playing football in high school, and was always kind to his friends – always encouraging them to do the right thing.

“Tristian didn't deserve this, he was a good kid,” Perez said. “His family doesn't deserve this. I can’t imagine what my sister is going through having to bury a child. Children are supposed to bury their parents. Parents aren't supposed to bury their children.”

Perez said he doesn't know the extent of Zamora’s and Kemp’s relationship. Perez said he knows they both served in Afghanistan but was not sure if they served there together.

All Perez said the family can do is try to bring Kemp back home.

“We’re trying to bring him back home to Guam to his mom,” Perez said. “I will meet him here in Hawaii, so I can escort him home, and bring him back.”