Family of 15-year-old hit, killed in Ferndale shares heartbreak

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By Joanna Small

FERNDALE, Wash. — Gabe Anderson was one of two teens killed while walking with his Windward physical education class just blocks from the school Wednesday.  Thursday his family told us they are still in shock but they wanted to share a little bit about Gabe with you so you'll remember the child they lost.
 
"He was gifted.  He was a very talented boy," said Jamie Torres, Gabe's aunt.
 
She is so heartbroken she wasn't sure she could talk about Gabe, but she said his short life deserves to be celebrated.
 
"He had a very bright future and no one  should have to go through this," she said.

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Surrounded by her family -- Gabe's uncle and cousin — Jamie told us through tears that her mother -- Gabe's grandmother -- was raising the boy she calls brilliant.  He loved everything from pigeons to guitar to computers.
 
"He saved every penny he had for a year and built his own gaming computer," Jamie said proudly.
 
He was the pride of the whole family.
 
"He was the talented cousin," Jamie's son Isaiah Alanis said.
 
Jamie couldn't bring herself to go but her husband was at Thursday's arraignment for the man accused of driving through a crowd of Windward students on this sidewalk Wednesday, killing Gabe and his classmate 18-year-old Shane Orminston.  Jamie says it's too soon to say what kind of punishment that man should face but:
 
"I definitely want him held accountable.  I think it's a tragic loss for everybody.  There's two young boys that are lost, there's two hurt and there's another man that has a life as well and his life is over," she explained.  "I can't say right now what I want to happen, I am not at that point but no one should be as negligent as what he was yesterday."

Jamie gave us a piece of paper with an obituary her mother -- Gabe's grandmother -- wrote but was too heartbroken to read to us.  Here it is in full:
 
"How does one write the obituary of a 15 year old?  Why must one write it, only Our Lord God knows who has wrapped Gabe into his loving arms.  The world lost an amazing young man today June 10th 2015.  Gabriel Lewis Anderson had one of the softest hearts of any teen I know.  He could take one from a sad or an angry mood to a good mood with his caring humor.  At the age of 13 he saved every penny he earned and built his own gaming computer.  He loved his homing pigeons and his dog.  After high school Gabe wanted to travel to Norway, Ireland, then Africa where he dreamed of working with the animals.  Gabe was taking guitar lessons and planned on learning to play a 5 string bass that his dad had gotten for him.  Gabe will be so very dearly missed by his mother Brandi Sestrom, his father Josh Anderson, grandparents Wade and Wanita Anderson, Aunt Jamie and Uncle Joe Torres, Uncle Jerod and cousins Isaiah, Cameron, Caiden, and Brenna.  So many people came into Gabe's life, soccer coaches, teachers, 4H leaders and fishing partners.  You all played a part in the wonderful young man he was, thank you.  Gabe had a soft spot for the homeless he would see on the streets of Bellingham, always encouraging me to slip them some cash even though I told him it was not the best way to help them.  In lieu of flowers help one of them out."