Friends and family mourn Seaside football player killed in drive-by shooting
An inspiration to everyone who knew him. That’s what mourners are saying about the senseless killing of a beloved young man from Seaside with no known gang ties. Police said 28-year-old Ralph Wynn was shot and killed while driving on General Jim Moore Boulevard early Wednesday.
NewsChannel 5 spoke with Ralph Wynn’s best friend Nick Cunningham, a well-known local Olympic bobsledder. Cunningham said friends and family are shocked and almost in disbelief that this happened to such an upstanding guy.
“We lost somebody really special today. We really did,” Cunningham said.
As he signs the curb, along with many more, Cunningham has a hard time holding back tears, as he remembers his best friend who was taken too soon.
“It’s hard for us cause there’s no answers. Talking with everybody this morning its either anger, confusion, sadness and we’re having that emotional roller coaster of what are we feeling?” Cunningham said.
Cunningham said Wynn was playing on the Salinas Valley Spartans semi-pro football team and spent a lot of time volunteering in the community, even working at the California Rodeo Salinas last week.
“He’s everybody’s best friend. I mean I don’t know Ralph to have an enemy. Ralph is one of those guys, you could take him anywhere and he somehow knew somebody and knew some jokes. He would have inside jokes with everybody,” Cunningham said.
Seaside Police said Wynn didn’t have any gang affiliation and doesn’t have a criminal record. Investigators believe was driving at the time of the shooting and believe he was shot by a suspect in another moving car on General Jim Moore Boulevard. Police said Wynn was found dead at the scene, after residents reported hearing shots in the area just north of San Pablo Avenue.
Wednesday night’s roadside memorial was a chilling moment and a harsh reality for Cunningham. The two friends were supposed to get together Wednesday night and catch up on old times
“All he wanted was for people to be happy. From the day I met him in high school to track and field to football to MPC to my first Olympics to pushing me through my second, he was there every step of the way,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham said he believes memorial services will be held locally for Wynn sometime next week. Investigators are still asking for anyone with information to come forward and believe some people are withholding information.
