Angel Torres was only 12 years old but his best friend, Genoa Espinoza, says he marched to the beat of his own drum.

“He would always be the leader. Never followed in any ones footsteps if they were doing something bad,” Espinoza told NBC 7.

“He would always be so respectful. So happy. He was just the kind of child every mother would want to have. He was like an example to the other kids,” explained Mayte Field, Genoa’s mother and a family friend of Angel’s.

Torres suffered a gunshot wound to the head at his Chula Vista home off 1100 Industrial Boulevard in early January.

Family and friends called on a higher power hoping he'd walk out of the hospital and return to the soccer field. The boy died from his injuries. His family held his funeral on Wednesday.

Chula Vista Police and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office are investigating whether his death was accidental. Officials also want to know how the sixth grader had access to a gun.

“It killed me,” said Field. “It’s just a tragedy I don’t understand it. Nobody does,” said Field.

Torres loved playing soccer and served as a captain on Chula Vista's Rebel SC team. He played alongside Adrian Mancillas.

"He would try and make the best out of us and even though we were losing he'd still be happy enjoying the game," Mancillas told NBC 7.

Off the field friends say Angel excelled in his studies at Harborside Elementary School.

Last semester he was photographed with Espinoza showing off their perfect attendance certificates.

Now Espinoza is learning to live with his friend’s absence

“He was nice and funny and would always be there for me," Espinoza said.

