Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Soccer club remembers teammate shot by relative
“He was so humble. He never let people talk down on the teammates. He never talked about himself like that... He was the center. He was everything about the team.”
— Tristan Bustamante, who met Lopez when they were kids at the soccer club
Achilles Lopez’s future was bright. The 15-year-old soccer player had already accomplished much at his young age, played semi-professionally for a year in Colombia, leading his team as a captain and setting sights on becoming a pro some day.
Many of his Miramar United Elite Football Club teammates and coaches gathered at the Sunset Lakes Community Center on Monday evening to speak to grief counselors about the unexpected loss of their friend and show support for one another, some wearing black, their soccer jerseys or team T-shirts.
The teen died Saturday night after a relative, who was identified as a female family member, unintentionally shot him inside a Pembroke Pines home in the Coconut Reef community, according to police. He died at a local hospital despite attempts to save his life.
The gun went off because of “negligence and mishandling,” Pembroke Pines Police said. Any potential charges will be sent to the State Attorney’s Office after police finish investigating, police said.
When an officer got to the home about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, he heard screams coming from inside, an incident report says. The boy was lying on his back near the doorway with a gunshot wound in his chest.
Officers took at least two other children who were in the home upstairs as first responders tried to save the boy’s life, the report says.
Officers found a 9 mm metal casing underneath the couch once they moved it to make room for fire rescue to help the
boy, the report says. A black gun and magazine were on the couch.
The other children at the home “made hand gestures as if they had a gun” when the officer talked to them, the report says, and identified the person who “hurt the victim downstairs.” One neighbor told police he “heard a lot of screaming in Spanish” coming from the house before officers came.
A woman inside the house started to lose consciousness and nearly fell to the ground as officers took her outside, the report says. She was “dazed and confused,” the report says.
“Our hearts are heavy as we acknowledge how much your soul means to us. We are thankful for the times that we shared on and off the field,” the Miramar United Football Club wrote in a Facebook post. “May the memories bring warmth and strength to your loved ones as we remind them that #wearefamily and you will always live on with our club. #RestInPower dear Achilles Lopez.”
Richard Jobson, Miramar United Football Club’s executive director, said Lopez, a midfielder, had been playing with the club’s teams since he was 7 or 8 years old.
His presence on the field was always much larger than his 5’2” stature, Jobson said.
The teen had missed part of the last season with his teammates for the opportunity to travel to Colombia and play for an academy there, Jobson said. His goal was to go to college for the sport and make it to the big leagues.
Jobson recalled when Lopez’s team was set to play a fierce team, one of the best in country.
Lopez told his teammates he’d handle the opponent’s best player and that they’d come out on top.
“We won that game 2-1,” he said.
That’s the type of leader Lopez was, Jobson said.
“He was going to be someone. Very articulate, somebody who was gonna be a leader, somebody who is going to show a good example and probably make this world a better place,” he said. “But these are the things that we won’t see.”
Daniel Zapata, 15, started playing with Lopez three years ago. The two quickly became friends, Lopez being one of the first on the team to strike up conversation with Zapata.
Just a month ago, the two shared a room while staying in Virginia for a showcase there. It’s a memory Zapata said he’ll cherish now.
“I was hoping to see him soon,” he said.
Zapata, a defender, and Lopez developed a strong bond on the field, he said, with their positions relying heavily on each other. Lopez was someone he could always rely on, he said.
The captain had a sense of humor but was quick to “straighten us up” too, Zapata said. And when Zapata’s favorite team
Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in the UEFA Championships League a few weeks ago, Lopez was the one to reassure him things would be OK when Zapata shed a tear for his team.
“His dedication and his love for the sport was more than I’ve seen in anyone,” he said. “And how it impacted his life ... it impacted my life as well.”
Other teammates similarly remembered their friend as reliable on and off the field, as someone who went out of his way to be kind and welcoming to new teammates and as a motivational, key part of the team.
“He came in the middle of the season from Colombia. He came and we just clicked,” 16-year-old teammate Giovanni Hazelton said. “He was one of the nicest kids I’ve ever met.”
Though his season is over for now, Hazelton said the next time he steps on the field, honoring Lopez’ memory will be a driving force for him to play his best.
Tristan Bustamante, 15,
first met Lopez when they two were 7 years old, his first season at the club. “He brought us all up. Lopez played midfield, and he truly was the “middle man,” Bustamante said, who “brought everybody up when they were down.”
“He was so humble. He never let people talk down on the teammates. He never talked about himself like that,” Bustamante said through tears. “He was the center. He was everything about the team.”
Bustamante said he was shy and had a hard time socializing until Lopez helped him break out of his shell. If it weren’t for Lopez’s encouragement, Bustamante said he thinks he would have quit the sport.
When Bustamante gets back on the field with his team in Weston in August, he’ll be thinking of his friend.
“This season is for him,” he said. “This upcoming season, I’m dedicating it all to him.”