LEWISTON — The community continues to grieve days after a 17-year-old was gunned down Sunday night on Rideout Avenue.

Sahal Muridi, 17, of Lewiston died Sunday night. The incident occurred amid a spate of shootings in Lewiston over the weekend that police say may or may not be related.

Police said when they arrived at 77 Rideout Ave. around 10:30 p.m., they discovered Muridi’s body in the roadway. Witnesses said they saw a silver Mercedes and a black Dodge Charger with temporary Maine plates fleeing the scene.

A spokesperson for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner said Tuesday that an autopsy revealed the cause and manner of Muridi’s death, but the results are being withheld per Attorney General Aaron Frey’s office due to the ongoing investigation.

Rilwan Osman and Hannah Conkin of the Maine Immigrant & Refugee Services in Lewiston released an open letter Monday night highlighting Muridi’s work with community youth as well as his passions and highly regarded leadership.

“Sahal had a bright future ahead of him and an unwavering passion for helping others,” the letter said. “He was a dedicated mentor in our organizations, committed to guiding and inspiring younger kids in our community.”

The letter said Muridi joined MEIRS with a desire to help younger people, which is essentially the organization’s mission. He showed interest in arts programming and in providing space for kids to explore their voices and experiences through art.

“I vividly remember during his onboarding process to become a youth intern, I asked him why he wanted to be a mentor,” Osman and Conkin wrote. “He simply replied, ‘I want to help other younger people.’”

A Lewiston organization, Generational Noor, a nonprofit focused on destigmatizing substance abuse, mental health, alcoholism and drug abuse in immigrant households, offered support in a Facebook post Monday morning for community members affected by Muridi’s death. Noor is offering dedicated space for counseling, to speak with others and to seek resources in their grief.

“This tragedy has deeply affected us all, especially our youth,” the post read. “It’s moments like these that remind us of the fragile nature of life and the importance of coming together as a community. In times of sorrow, unity and compassion can help us heal. Let’s hold each other a little closer today and every day. Together, we can find strength and hope.”

Lewiston Public Schools Superintendent Jake Langlais visited Muridi’s family to offer his condolences.

Muridi would be going into his senior year at Lewiston High School.

“These are kids, these are children and it’s really sad,” Langlais told News Center Maine on Monday. “Sahal was known and liked. He was a mentor at a local organization. He had a job. He was in school. It’s definitely hard to process right now.”

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline shared his condolences in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “My heart goes out to Sahal’s family. His death represents a tragic loss for our community and a young life cut short. There is no place for violence in our city. We must come together and remain Lewiston Strong.”

A GoFundMe page is circulating on social media to help his family pay for his “Janazah” or funeral, which includes a traditional ceremony and prayer held within 24 hours of a person’s passing.

Said Osman and Conkin, “(Sahal’s) memory will live on through the youth he mentored and the positive changes we strive to achieve together.”