Family members, friends and residents across Antigua and Barbuda are expected to gather today to bid farewell to 17-year-old Omari Lewis, whose death in a Villa shooting earlier this year shocked the nation.

Lewis will be laid to rest following a funeral service at 2pm at Beacon Light Nazarene Church.

The teenager died on 26 March, just days before his 18th birthday, sparking widespread grief and renewed concern over gun violence and violent crime involving young people.

Tributes poured in in the weeks after his death, with relatives, classmates and friends remembering him as a young man with a promising future.

A funeral notice issued by loved ones described his life as “a blessing” and his memory as “a treasure”.

Today’s service is expected to attract large crowds as the community comes together to support Lewis’ grieving family.