Community offers support for families of Westlake High School tragedy
Community mourns students killed, injured in Westlake High School crash
Wesley Welling was killed while waiting for the bus with his sister. Three other Westlake High School Students were injured in the crash. Sunday night the Agoura Hills community gathered to show support and raise money for the families affected by the tragedy.
AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - The Agoura Hills community gathered Sunday to mourn the loss of a local teen and help raise money for families affected by a violent crime spree that came to an end outside Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks last week.
On Tuesday, April 18, 15-year-old Wesley Welling was waiting for the bus with his sister outside the high school, when 24-year-old Austin Eis, a former student at the school, allegedly crashed into Welling and a group of students. Eis allegedly ran into the students intentionally. Welling was killed and three other students were injured in the crash.
But the crash was just the end of an allegedly long crime spree Eis went on that day. Earlier in the day, Eis was wanted in connection with the stabbing of a Walmart employee in Simi Valley, before he allegedly threatened his family in Camarillo. Eis faces several felony charges and has been denied bail.
Meanwhile in Agoura Hills Sunday night, the community gathered to mourn Welling, and to raise money for his family and the families of the three other students injured in that crash.
"Our community has endured a lot of trauma," said event organizer Alissa Morton. "We had Borderline, we had the fires, and we had the pandemic like everybody else, but these kids are fragile, and the community is a little fragile. And when this incident happened, it was time to make sure everybody knew that we were all one. One community, all supportive and we were going to embrace those that were directly affected by this.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- 'Everybody loved him': Teen struck by vehicle near Westlake High was waiting for bus with sister
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The event was headlined by musical performances, speakers, and even a silent auction. All the proceeds went to the families affected by the Thousand Oaks crash.
A GoFundMe campaign for 15-year-old Welling has raised over $250,000 in the days since his death.