Not long before he was killed last Thursday, Chrystofer Whyte posted an 11-second TikTok video of himself enjoying his time on the beach in Long Branch.
Whyte, 18, a popular Tiktok creator, had 100,000 followers and his account was flooded with over 4,000 comments in the days after his death, including many wishing him a heavenly 19th birthday on Sunday.
Whyte was killed on the evening of June 12 after a fight broke out on the near Pier Village in Long Branch, police said.
Police in Long Branch responded at 8:58 p.m. to the beach area between the shoreline and the boardwalk of Pier Village for a report of shots fired, according to a statement issued by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago on Friday afternoon.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a man suffering from a single gunshot wound, he said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
No arrests have been made, authorities said.
A GoFundMe has been organized to raise money to bury Chrystofer Whyte, 18, who was killed in Long Branch last week.Jaidon Roche
Whyte, of North Brunswick, graduated last year from Woodbridge High School where he was a running back and defensive back for the team.
Woodbridge High School football coach Joseph LaSala told the Asbury Park Press that he coached Whyte for three seasons and he “was one of the most respectful kids in our program.”
“Chrys was a really unbelievable kid who brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the program,” LaSala said. “He was an extremely hard worker.”
A GoFundMe was set up by Jaiden Roche, who identified himself as “Chrystofers best friend, on behalf of the victim’s family.
Roche did not reply to a request for comment.
The fundraiser had raised more than $15,000 of a $22,000 goal as of Tuesday afternoon.
“Chrys was a brother to me and we all dearly miss him. It’s my duty to make sure he goes out with a bang and a beautiful last goodbye,” Roche wrote in the GoFundMe post.
Roche said in his post: “He (Whyte) lost his beautiful soul to gun violence yesterday, he meant so much to everyone.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have been at the scene to come forward if they have firsthand video footage of the incident on their phones or electronic devices.
Anyone with relevant video footage of the incident can upload that video to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Anyone who may have information regarding this incident is urged to contact MCPO Detective Thomas Manzo at 800-533-7443 or Long Branch Police Detective Joseph Spitale at 732-222-1000, Ext. 1339.
Stories by Stephanie Loder
Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.
Stephanie Loder may be reached at SLoder@njadvancemedia.com.