New York

Funeral held for NY teen slain in suspected gang violence

Associated Press
Published | Updated

The casket of Justin Llivicura is removed from a hearse under the eye of Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, prior to Llivicura's funeral Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at St. Joseph the Worker Church in East Patchogue, N.Y. Llivicura, 16, was one of four young men found slain in a suspected MS-13 gang killing in a park in Central Islip, N.Y., on April 12. Police have made no arrests in the recent killings, one of 11 suspected gang killings that have occurred on eastern Long Island since September 2016. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman) (The Associated Press)

Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre speaks to reporters prior to the funeral of Justin Livicura on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at St. Joseph the Worker Church in East Patchogue, N.Y. Llivicura, 16, was one of four young men found brutally killed in a park in Central Islip, N.Y., on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Police suspect the killings may have been at the hands of the MS-13 street gang. No arrests have been made. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman) (The Associated Press)

Joselo Lucero speaks to reporters before the funeral of Justin Llivicura at St. Joseph the Worker Church in East Patchogue, N.Y., on Wednesday, April 19, 2017. Lucero's brother, Marcelo Lucero, was killed in 2008 in nearby Patchogue, by a group of young men who admitted they routinely attacked Hispanic victims. He said Wednesday he was attending the funeral to lend support to the family of Llivicura, who was among four young men found dead in a park in Central Islip, N.Y., on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Police suspect the deaths of Llivicura and three others may have been at the hands of the MS-13 street gang. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman) (The Associated Press)

A funeral has been held for one of four young men found brutally slain in a Long Island park in what police suspect was the work of the MS-13 street gang.

About 200 mourners, many of them young, attended the Mass on Wednesday in East Patchogue (PACH'-awg) for 16-year-old Justin Llivicura (yee-vee-KUHR'-uh).

The Rev. Martin Curtin says Llivicura was a "nice, solid kid" with a passion for working on cars. His family is active in the parish. Llivicura attended a youth group there with his sister.

Police kept a low-key presence around St. Joseph the Worker Church. So far, they have not identified any suspects.

The killings last week are among 11 that have struck the working-class immigrant communities of Brentwood and Central Islip (EYE'-slihp), on eastern Long Island, since September.