Riding to remember: BMX community honors life of twenty-year-old shot dead

Friends and family of twenty-year-old Tyler Hurtle rode together Friday night to honor his memory. Police are still searching for his killer.

“This whole thing has just been a nightmare,” said Tyler Hurtle’s father, Mark Hurtle.

“You think you’re going to wake up and it’s going to be different, and it’s just the same,” agreed his mother, Sara Zolman.

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare—losing a child.

But Tyler Hurtle wasn’t just lost. He was killed.

“I couldn’t believe for like 3 days. It didn’t click until I went to his funeral,” said one of his BMX friends, Hannah Roberts.

Police found him shot on Meadow Lane on October 6th.  They are still looking for his killer.

“You have all these questions that aren’t answered,” said Zolman.

While police investigate, Tyler’s family and friends are honoring him by doing what he loved.

“We’re going to ride for Tyler tonight,” said one of Tyler’s BMX buddies, Cris Ledoux.

And they’re riding in the place he loved most—The Kitchen BMX Skate Park.

“He was here every day after school,” said Tyler’s mother.

As they ride, they reminisce.

“I’ll be riding with everybody and talking and sharing memories and having a good time, just like Tyler would want us all to,” said Hannah Roberts.

“He was a really nice brother,” said Tyler’s little brother, Colton Litka.

“He was outgoing. He wasn’t really afraid to try anything new,” said another one of Tyler’s BMX friends, Dylan Lichkay.

“happy go lucky kid. He would give the shirt off his back to help out one of his friends,” said his father Mark.

“He just…he was our world,” said Zolman.

And now that their world’s been torn apart, being at the kitchen Friday helps to mend it at least a little.

“Doing things like this and talking about him and hearing the memories that other people shared is very helpful for us,” said Tyler’s mother Sara.


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