Funeral set for teenager killed in downtown shooting

Arrangements have been made for Chance Lee Gauthier — the 16-year-old boy who was found dead from a gunshot wound in downtown Windsor last week.

Families First Funeral Home will hold visitation for Gauthier at its east Windsor location on Wednesday.

In his obituary, Gauthier’s parents expressed “shock and dismay” at their son’s sudden death.

They said their son will be remembered for “his humour, smile and genuine caring heart.”

“Chance touched many lives in his short time on Earth,” they wrote.

Born in Windsor, Gauthier was a student at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School, F.J. Brennan Catholic High School, and St Joseph’s Catholic High School.

Gauthier’s parents wrote that he was involved in a wide variety of sporting activities: soccer, broomball, lacrosse, football, badminton, basketball, bowling and fishing.

His family includes his mother and father, two brothers, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and many cousins.

Gauthier will be cremated. Visitation hours on Wednesday are 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at 1065 Lauzon Rd. Call 519-969-5841 for more information or visit familiesfirst.ca to leave online condolences.

People who knew Gauthier have posted messages of grief on social media.

“He was funny, goofy, and full of life when he wanted to be. He had his whole life ahead of him, 16 years old, and he could’ve changed himself for the better, but someone ruined that for him,” wrote one friend on Facebook.

“So many of us have great memories with him. His spirit will always live on because of that. I don’t care what anyone says, he didn’t deserve to die. This is so unreal, and I really can’t wrap my head around it.”

A YouTube channel made by Gauthier when he was 13 years old shows videos he recorded of himself singing to “beautiful girls in my life.”

Windsor police continue to investigate Gauthier’s death, which detectives have determined to be a homicide.

Gauthier’s body was discovered on Feb. 14 around 7 a.m. in an alley in the 900 block of Church Street.

Police confirmed that he died of a gunshot wound. An autopsy revealed evidence of homicide.

As of Feb. 16, a firearm had yet to be recovered.

According to police, Gauthier was known to frequent the downtown area.