OAKLAND (KRON) — A father is mourning the loss of his son who was killed last week during a robbery in Oakland.

The musician is being remembered on Tuesday night even as some are trying to take advantage of this family’s tragedy.

The man’s father spoke first with KRON4 on Tuesday night.

“When you kill a person, you kill his family,” father Gene Deporis said.

Facing the future without his son, Deporis reflects on the life of his boy–40-year-old David Deporis.

The singer, songwriter, and storyteller was suddenly killed trying to protect what he loved most–his music.

“And the irony is that a boy who one of the songs he wrote was something called, “Non-Violent Traveler,” Deporis said. “And that traveler of mine, that son of mine, would die from violence.”

In the middle of the day last week, while sitting at a café in Temescal, someone stole David’s laptop. He ran after the robber, grabbing onto the side of the getaway car but was dragged to his death.

Some friends believe David’s latest album was on the stolen laptop, prompting his reaction to run after it.

“It says that he was dedicated to his music, and it says that he was brave as hell,” Deporis said.

A memorial is planned for September to honor the man, his father says, who was larger than life.

Now, friends are trying to compile the music–a lifetime of art that they don’t want to be lost with his death.

They’ve started a campaign to raise money to make it available in one place, from editing and producing his recordings to sharing his voice with the world.

“I want to make damn sure that I can be upheld to keep other families from going through this because nobody deserves the pain we’re living with right now,” Deporis said.

Gene was abroad when he got the life-changing call his son was dead.

He praises Oakland police for their investigation.

But no arrests have been made.

“Anybody out there who practices violence should be taken off the streets,” Deporis said. “My son died with incredible riches, but he died way too soon.”

Gene also tells KRON4 David’s friends are raising money to archive all of his music and have started a fundraising campaign.

Unfortunately, there is a fake GoFundMe site trying to raise money for a funeral.

The family just wants help saving his music.

They believe this is what David would have wanted.

This is the real GoFundMe page for Depris: https://www.gofundme.com/memorial-and-music-fund-for-daveWHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:

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