Alexander Lara Delgado smiled and focused on his friend as he twirled her around, moving to clear the belled skirt of her baby blue ballgown. The guests cheered as Alex, dressed in a sharp white tux, swept her up in a hug, spinning her four times in the air.
It was all part of a beautiful dance Alex choreographed for his dear friend Roselena\u2019s quincea\u00f1era. Alex even went so far as to don his friend\u2019s Cinderella-like dress during rehearsals to show her all the steps.
They were neighbors and close friends, raised together from a young age. And that dance celebrating Roselena\u2019s 15th birthday, \u201cit was something that was very beautiful,\u201d Alex\u2019s mother, Eubdulia Delgado Alvarado, said.
It was the last big milestone Alex got to experience.
Just a few months later, the 16-year-old stopped at a Nashville gas station for a chocolate bar and Gatorade, his mother said. In the moments that followed, a chain of dramatic events left his family devastated, heartbroken and searching for answers.
His mother lost her only child on the early morning of January 7, awoken by a phone call that her son had been shot after his car was struck by another at the gas station and an altercation ensued. The happy, lovable and outgoing teen left behind both parents, four half-siblings on his dad\u2019s side and two stepsiblings.
Alex is one of more than 1,300 children and teens in the US killed by gunfire so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Firearms became the No. 1 killer of children and teens in America in 2020, surpassing motor vehicle accidents, which had long been the leading cause of death among America\u2019s youth.
\u201cHe was just starting to live his life,\u201d said his mother\u2019s longtime partner, Claudia Guti\u00e9rrez. \u201cHe wanted to be someone in life, and they just took it away from him.\u201d
He danced with his mother for hours
The family celebrated together for Alex\u2019s last milestone, the quincea\u00f1era, last August. They watched as Alex cheered on and escorted Roselena as her chambelan, her only court at the event.
\u201cHe taught the girl how to dance, he taught her how to spin, and he put on the girl\u2019s dress to teach her how she needed to move so that the dance would come out perfectly,\u201d Delgado said.
Alex inherited his dance skills from his mother, whom he first started dancing with when he was 12.
Delgado remembers dancing with her son for hours on end at local dance nights for families. Some of her favorite memories were of dancing with him, teaching him different moves and how to hold a girl.
Growing up, he was known as \u201cLittle Alex\u201d in the home he shared with his mom, her partner and her two children. It was always the three of the children together, Alex being the youngest.
\u201cSince they were little, they were each other\u2019s only friends, the three of them,\u201d Guti\u00e9rrez said. \u201cIt\u2019s devastating right now because they miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex had spent a lot of time with his stepbrother, Alejandro, who taught him how to change a car tire, change the oil and more. He became more interested in cars and wanted to be a mechanic when he grew up, his mother said.
The more he learned about cars, the more he wanted one. Alex saved up to buy a black 2005 Infiniti. It was a bit rough and required some love. Alex worked tirelessly on it.
\u201cWhatever it took for him to be on the steering wheel, he just loved driving his cars, just being free, exploring that freedom that every teenager wants to feel,\u201d his father Aniceto Lara Jr. said.
He worked hard to help his family
As much as Alex relished those moments of freedom, he was always taking on more responsibility to help his family, his father said.
Alex looked out for his mother and prioritized taking on part-time jobs in construction so she wouldn\u2019t have to work so hard, his father said. Alex had lived with his mother in Nashville for most of his life, as his parents divorced when he was a baby.
\u201cAt a young age he was already thinking of just getting a job to help his mom, so his mom wouldn\u2019t have to work as much anymore,\u201d Lara said. \u201cThat brought a lot of joy to me, that he was being a good son.\u201d
Alex also helped his father\u2019s family, traveling to Mexico to reconnect with his dad and spend time with his grandparents on their farm and orchard in Michoac\u00e1n whenever he could. Lara was surprised at how easily Alex adjusted to the change in environment, especially the lack of air conditioning and early morning chores.
Lara recalled a time when Alex and the family were working in the corn fields. These little hairy spines from the corn plants would get on your skin and create a burning rash that was uncomfortable, he said.
\u201cHe was right there with all of us doing the hard work, like anyone else would,\u201d Lara said. \u201cThat was one of the things that I admired, that he was just willing to be out there and do things no matter what. Just like a real cowboy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The memory of them working together in the corn made Lara laugh. Others made him smile, like the many times his son went horseback riding. Alex enjoyed the activities around the farm, but he really loved horses, his dad said.
\u201cWe had very many beautiful moments and those are all lost,\u201d Lara said.
His legacy beats on
Back home in Nashville, his mother says she misses the way it felt knowing Alex was in his bedroom. His 10 pairs of shoes, including his prized Air Jordans, sit neatly and pristine in their boxes \u2013 Alex didn\u2019t want them to lose their shape.
His shoes were his signature, and they remind her of his flair.
As his mother looks upon Alex\u2019s favorite things resting untouched, she remembers their bond and how close they were. \u201cI was his mother and his friend,\u201d she said.
\u201cI remember him with happiness because we were always very happy,\u201d Delgado said. \u201cWe were very close. He loved me very much.\u201d
Alex\u2019s last gift was the gift of life.
After the shooting, his heart was still beating strong, but there was no brain activity, his mother said doctors told her. The family kept Alex on life support so they could donate his organs \u2013 three children and one adult were recipients, his family said.
\u201cI know what I did was something important for all the families that were able to have part of my son,\u201d his mother said. \u201cI did it with all of my heart, for them, and I know my son did it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n