SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A dilapidated apartment complex where two young males were shot and killed in recent months will be demolished early next year, according to city officials.

The building at 165 John St. is where 16-year-old Antonio Gullotto was shot and killed last night. And in October, James Springer, 12, died after being shot and killed in front of the home. He lived there with his family and was slain by a bullet police said wasn't intended for him.

At the scene of the shooting on Tuesday, police were seen fastening boards over the doorway of the north-most section of the complex, which is emblazoned with red graffiti memorializing Springer.

Syracuse police board up the doorway to an apartment where a 16-year-old was shot and killed Monday night.

When the father of a tenant at the apartment where Gullotto was killed asked officers what happened to his daughter's dogs, police told him the apartment was "seized" and to contact animal control.

In a statement, the city's top lawyer said the property's days are numbered.

The land bank can now destroy the building after a drawn-out legal battle with the property's Australia-based landlord.

The city seized the property, which is at the corner of Park and John streets, in May 2018 for failure to pay taxes, and it was given to the Greater Syracuse Land Bank, said Syracuse Corporation Counsel Kristen Smith.

But the land bank wasn't able to immediately manage the property due to legal action by the previous owner, Smith said.

The city and the land bank "aggressively" fought the landlord in court and ultimately won, getting a judge's approval to take control of the building Dec. 11, Smith said.

The land bank is now beginning the process to "take over responsible management of the property, which appears unfit for habitation given its condition and history of code violations."

The land bank plans to demolish the structure in early 2019, officials said. It's unclear how many tenants are still living there.

A city spokesman said no action was taken toward the demolition of the building specifically due to the homicide last night. The process has been ongoing since May.

Gullotto's death marks the 20th homicide in Syracuse in 2018. Eight people 19 years old or younger -- including Gullotto -- have been killed in homicides in the city this year.

Anthony Tate, a good friend of Gullotto's, lights candles for his friend on Tuesday.

The death of Springer, the 12-year-old, in October prompted community-wide calls for a cease to violence against youth here. Police have made an arrest in that homicide.

The apartment complex has since slowly become a monument to the boy, with numerous handwritten or spray-pained messages to him, like "Gone but never forgotten." Deflated balloons are tied to a street sign. Burnt candles and empty liquor bottles have been placed around the home's front porch, above which a wrap-around patio is sagging, possibly near collapse.

On Tuesday afternoon, even more candles were added to the building's concrete front porch, but these were placed there in memory of the city's latest young victim of gun violence.

Anthony Tate lit about a dozen candles for Gullotto, his good friend, stopping every so often to hunch over and weep. He described Gullotto as like a nephew to him.

"He was the type of person that would make you smile on your worst day," he said. "He was a free spirit. He had no fear."

Tate and Nigel Emerson, 16, who is Gullotto's cousin, said Gullotto had recently been released from jail, though they didn't know what he was accused of. The teen was looking forward to a clean start and a Christmas back at home, his cousin said.

Tate said there isn't enough for young people to do in Syracuse to prevent falling into situations where they are victims of or perpetrate violence.

"They're not bad kids, they just don't have anything to do with their time," he said.

NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that is the the Land Bank, not the city, that would be demolishing the complex. The Land Bank is a separate entity.