A popular lad with a big heart – that was 14-year-old Lareanz Simmons.
Never afraid to say ‘I love you’, he often greeted his friends with a hug.
And within moments of meeting someone new, he'd treat them like one of his best friends.
Lareanz became known for his ‘hug-and-love’ treatment, and was well liked among schoolmates.
His loving nature was in stark contrast to the area he'd grown up in.
Riverside, California, had been plagued with violence for decades.
Street gangs orchestrated targeted hits on their enemies, gun crime was rife.
But Lareanz wasn't involved with gangs.
The junior cadet enjoyed being silly with
