Community rallies around young father shot, killed in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A San Jose father is killed, right in front of his own home, by a stray bullet during a drive-by shooting. Police are searching for the person who fired that tragic shot, while his young family is utterly devastated. Richard Watkins was a man in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The flowers, the loving notes, and the candles, are meant to bring peace to the Watkins Family. The 24-year-old father of two was expecting his third child soon, but on Saturday night gunshots outside his home were the furthest things from his mind. He was shot while helping a relative park his car.

Witness Steve Ruelas said, "We tried to keep him coherent, but he wasn't responding to that."

Police are sure Watkins was an innocent bystander. The victim spent all of his spare time with this family and with the San Jose Saints Pop Warner teams.

"For their life to be taken away so shortly... he's doing the right things, staying positive, getting his kids into sports, keeping them off the streets. For that to happen to him, it's pretty heartbreaking," Dawaylin Hutchinson, the San Jose Saints organization president said.

Watkins' oldest was on the cheer squad. And in a home video, you can see him cheering beside his daughter.

Trina Castillo, the Junior Pee Wee head coach, said, "It's hard, it's hit my family hard. My daughter cheers with his daughter."

And now this football family is giving back to another. They're holding a fundraiser on Wednesday night and there is also a GoFundMe page.

But while police have few leads, the Saints have concerns as well. The teams practice at Davis Middle School three times a week. The shooting happened just down the street from the school. Now the coaches are considering moving the practices for the safety of everyone on the field.

If you would like to help the family, we have information on our website, you can check out the GoFundMe page here.

There is a fundraiser at Wednesday starting at 5:30 p.m. at 5575 Snow Dr. in San Jose.

There will be a vigil held Thursday at Davis Middle School field after practice at 7:30 p.m.