The shooting happened around 6 am near Bear Creek and Brookside drives.
Merced police say a 15-year-old boy was found with multiple gunshot wounds.
The teen has since been identified by his family as Mario Fertini.
"He used to smile. He used to play a lot. He loved all his cousins and everything. You know, he loved his mom, his brother," said Tania Holman, Fertini's aunt.
Fertini and his mother just moved to Merced about nine months ago.
"It's really sad. With this subject being a juvenile, he didn't get a chance to live life to the fullest. It's really heartbreaking when you see kids that are victim of violent crimes like this," said Merced Police Lieutenant Kalvin Haygood.
Lt. Haygood says Fertini's death is the sixth homicide of 2024 in the city of Merced.
Neighbors in the area say they heard gunshots around 2 am.
Detectives believe Fertini was left alone with multiple gunshot wounds for about three hours.
As detectives try to figure out what led someone to shoot and kill the teen, the family wants to remember him as a good kid who loved basketball and loved his family.
"He was a sweet, kind kid, he was very loving. He had family that loves him very much," said Holman.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for Fertini's funeral expenses.
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