A new memorial garden and mural at Philadelphia’s Roxborough High School honors Nicolas Elizalde, a football player who was ambushed and fatally shot after a scrimmage three years ago.
Elizalde, a Saul High School student who played football at Roxborough, was in a group leaving a scrimmage on Sept. 27, 2022, when an SUV pulled up alongside them — then five people got out and opened fire.
A plaque honoring Nicolas Elizalde, a Roxborough High School football player who attended Saul High School and was killed in a Sept. 27, 2022, shooting.
Within a year of the shooting, Roxborough High School added 287 new cameras and additional safety staff for after-school events.
Outside the school on Friday, people wearing “Elizalde” shirts gathered around the mural and memorial. Nicolas’ mother, Meredith Elizalde, said it was tough to come to the block — she recalled cradling her son as he died.
That darkest moment contrasted with the celebratory mood of Friday, when Meredith Elizalde told the crowd she wanted Nicolas to be remembered as a lover of nature and a good soul.
“I don’t want Nic to be remembered as a victim,” Meredith Elizalde told the crowd. “I want him to be remembered as the inspiration that he is, and I want everyone to focus on the kids who are still here.”
A mural at Roxborough High School honors football player Nicolas Elizalde and includes his number, 62.
“I want the examples of Nic’s life to be spread through the beauty and the life-giving plants here. I want people to remember the way that Nic lived and not how he died,” she added.
The garden is full of native, local plants and flowers designed to attract pollinators, a way to pay homage to Nicolas Elizalde, who loved science. His former teammates participated in the ceremony, and a No. 62 Elizalde jersey was left under a plaque with his photo.
Nicolas Elizalde would have been a senior this year.
“We brought students, we brought family members, we brought community and we did it ourselves together, and thought that’s a great way to remember somebody in a positive light,” Assistant Principal Julian Saavedra said.
The high school hopes to expand the garden around the entire hillside where it currently sits.
Philadelphia police have arrested a total of six people in connection with the murder. Two have since pleaded guilty and were sentenced to decades of jail time. Four other suspects — including one arrested in August — are awaiting trial.
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