Grief counselors will be on hand all week to help East High School students and staff cope with the death of a 16-year-old who was shot while in his car Feb. 13. Luis Garcia’s family was hopeful that he would survive, but his family confirmed Wednesday that he died.

In an email obtained by The Denver Gazette, East High School principal Terita Walker told parents Wednesday that it was with “a heavy heart” that she was informing them of Garcia’s death.

“Luis was not only an excellent soccer player, he was also an excellent student. Our students and educators have shared how Luis’ passion for soccer, along with the dedication he shared amongst his family, friends, and teammates, inspired the teachers, staff, coaches and students who knew him,” Walker said.

Police responded to a shooting report at the high school just after 2:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13 and found the 16-year-old student with gunshot wounds still sitting in his car on the north side of the school.

Two teens who were in a different car were taken into custody later that afternoon, but neither has been technically arrested for the shooting, according to police. One suspect, a 17-year-old, is being held on suspicion of illegal possession of a handgun. The other, a 16-year-old, is being held on allegations of auto theft and felony eluding.

Police have said that both boys are Denver Public Schools students, but neither of them went to East High.

“It appears that they shot from a car into a car, and we don’t know what led to that,” Denver Police Department Division Chief Joe Montoya said on the day of the shooting, adding that there was “no indication that there was any kind of altercation between the two cars previous to the shooting.”

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock expressed concern in a lengthy statement released Thursday, saying that “We cannot accept that easy access to guns is more important to us than our children’s lives and safety. Our children’s lives and safety are not the price of freedom, and we will never accept that they are.”

Hancock reported that the Denver Police Department is working with East High to provide increased safety there. Parents and students have expressed safety concerns at Denver City Council meetings and the Denver Public School District has faced calls to bring police back into schools since the shooting.

Days after Garcia’s death, some of his classmates begged the Denver City Council to act, saying gun violence in and around schools “should not be accepted.”

“We’re scared and horrified and terrified of all these of these actions, but we’re not shocked by gun violence anymore,” said Ezekiel Lubin at the City Council’s weekly meeting. “These are the schools that your children will grow up going to. Your children.”

In her email home, Walker asked parents to be cognizant of the grief that their children may be feeling after hearing of Garcia’s death.

“Please consider opening a dialogue about what they are thinking and feeling,” she wrote.

East High school students were going to hold a summit to voice their outrage and demand action by city leaders Wednesday afternoon, but the event was postponed due to Garcia’s death.

A GoFundMe has been set up in Garcia’s name.