"He didn't get to experience any part of his life, it's horrible," said Moss's cousin, Yvonne Johnson.

Before he was gunned down in his cousin's parking lot Monday night, Denzel Moss lived his life to the fullest for 17 years.

"They called him Cheese," Johnson said. "Every time you see him, you're seeing teeth. He smiled, with big beautiful dimples. He was a wonderful, wonderful boy."

Moss' principal at Waverly High School said that's what they'll miss most about the teenager who would have been a senior next year. The school held a memorial open house Tuesday afternoon with grief counselors on hand, and posters with Moss' picture on it for the students to sign. People also commented on Moss' Twitter and Facebook all day.

Principal Vince Perkins has known Moss since middle school. He said the sports fanatic was always happy, and led by example.

"We'll miss his smiling face walking through the hallways," Perkins said. "His classmates will miss his smiling face. His jokes, and his arguing about Lebron James."

Though Moss often played basketball with his little brother, who just finished his freshman year at Waverly, Moss loved football. His coach said the team's work out Tuesday morning was dedicated to Moss.

"They lifted more, and they lifted harder," said Football Coach and Physical Education Teacher Anthony Earl Walker.

He said a player on the team already asked to wear Moss' number next season.

"It really goes beyond football," Walker said. "I'll miss him as a player, but I'll miss him more as a person."

Moss was found by police lying in the grass with gunshot wounds at Silver Stone Townhomes off Martin Luther King Blvd. at around 10:45 Monday night. He died an hour later at the hospital. Police say detectives are currently interviewing numerous witnesses, and the investigation is moving in a positive direction.

"It's very tragic, especially a 17-year-old victim here, but we're going to get to the bottom of it," said Lansing Police Public Information Officer Bob Merritt.

Police aren't revealing much about a suspect or suspects yet, but they believe it wasn't a random shooting.

Johnson hopes they find who's responsible soon.

"Somebody knows something," Johnson said. "So we're praying that somebody comes through and helps us out with this, because we need to get this closed. He's not going to be put to rest until someone is put away."

An online donation has been set up in memory of Moss through the Waverly Schools website. All the proceeds will go to the family.

The funeral is pending, and the investigation is ongoing. Stay with News 10 for the latest details.