Nicolas Elizalde packed a lot of life into the 14 years he was here. A kind, gentle, deeply compassionate boy, he was the kind of empathetic soul people were drawn to. Even animals couldn’t keep themselves away.
“Each night I tucked Nick into bed, animals would come near his window,” said his mother, Meredith, her voice wavering as she remembered with pride. “We saw a squirrel, a bird or two, a rabbit sometimes, even a fox. From the time he was little, animals came every night like clockwork. The night he died, no animals came to the window and they have not returned. It’s like they know that he is gone.”
Nicolas, a student at Walter B. Saul High school, was just a few days shy of his 15th birthday when he and four other teens were shot on Sept. 27, 2022. The group was leaving a football scrimmage on Lawrence Road in Roxborough when five gunmen emerged from a car and fired more than 60 shots, said Fox29. He didn’t make it. All the suspects in his murder have been arrested, police said.
Born in Philadelphia, he was different from the very beginning, said his mother. “He was always calm and patient. He cared about everyone and everything. He was no trouble.” As a young boy he liked dinosaurs, and he loved sharing what he learned about them with his grandmother, Marge LaRue, with whom he lived for about seven years. She and Nicolas would take long walks on warm nights to count the lightning bugs. And it’s almost a cliche to say he wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he was so sensitive he would never kill bugs, said Meredith.
Nicolas also loved music, and some of his tastes might not have matched up with other kids his age. “When Nick was a baby, he loved Barry Manilow,” said Meredith. “He was in his car seat when he was about a year old and the song ‘Copacabana’ came on. He started bouncing around in his car seat and trying to sing. Then, it became a thing: every time Barry Manilow came on, he would get excited—’Copacabana,’ ‘Mandy,’ ‘I Write the Songs’ and ‘Could It Be Magic.'”
It was like this all the way through kindergarten, and they would laugh together any time Barry Manilow came on the radio. Just last month, Meredith checked into an Airbnb, and immediately she saw the record collection. “Sitting right there was Barry Manilow. I felt like Nick was telling me that he’s here.”
A tranquil soul, Nick never argued or raised his voice, and he was very likable and carried a positive attitude despite struggling with scoliosis from a young age. At one point he wore a brace for a year, and sometimes, he was bullied because he was different. Instead of getting angry, his mom said, he overcame it by extending kindness to his aggressors. In his eyes, they “just needed a friend.” He even drove his mother crazy with his favorite quote, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
Nicolas was proud of his Mexican-American heritage and his Muslim faith. When he saw different newscasts, especially the one about George Floyd, he had a lot of questions. He did not understand how anyone could hate a person because of their religion or the color of their skin.
Despite his health problems, he was determined to lead an active life. He was habitually an early riser, and was an avid foodie who loved trying out new foods.
“He loved whatever I cooked,” said his grandmother.
Even as an adolescent, Nicolas was concerned about the environment and no matter where he was, he often picked up litter and disposed of it properly. He loved science, the ocean and gardening, so, it made sense that he would attend Saul High School and pursue interests in Agriculture and Conservation.
His freshman year, he was quite an athlete and you seldom saw him without a basketball. His other favorite sport was football, and he also played tennis with his mother during the summer. He was a gifted sketch artist who enjoyed making his own comic books—and he loved to make people happy by often giving his art away. Marge has a complete portfolio of his sketches, she said.
Nicolas loved movies especially the ones that revealed a lot of history. He had an inquisitive mind. He appreciated having discussions with his mother about whatever they watched on television. He enjoyed making up stories with his grandmom and playing trivia games. An excellent swimmer who loved the water; Nicolas was planning to be a lifeguard but tragedy took him before his fifteenth birthday.
Nick was also active in his community. Marge called him a “young activist.” He often made signs and went on marches with her. In November, he volunteered at the polls and in 2020; because of Covid, one of his duties was to handwash the pens used by the voters. Since this involved public safety, Nicolas took his responsibility seriously. Nicolas was named Volunteer of the Year for the 22 hours of service he gave that Election Day.
Services were held in late October 2022. He leaves his mother and father, his grandparents and a host of family and friends to preserve his legacy. His story went around the world, especially the Muslim world. People from all over reached out to his family, moving so many people that over 200 trees have been planted in his name. There is a garden in Jerusalem and a well in Nigeria named after him. A suspect in his murder was identified in May 2023.
As this article was being completed, a mural by students of Roxborough and Saul High Schools was about to be revealed to celebrate and remember the life of Nicolas Elizalde. And in the time since, the football team at Roxborough changed their name to the Wolves because that was Nicolas’s spirit animal.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
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