HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — Two bodies were found off Buckhorn Road in Hillsborough Sunday, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Family members confirmed Monday one of the victims is 18-year-old Devin Clark, an Eastern Alamance High School student and football player.
Officials have identified the other victim as 14-year-old Lyric Woods.
Alamance Burlington School System made a statement confirming a student had died.
"Our hearts are heavy this morning as we have learned about the death of one of our Eastern High School students. Counselors will be on hand today to assist students and staff. We send our condolences to the student’s family and friends at this time," said an ABSS spokesperson.
"He was an athletic person, he was a good person, he was a good friend, and he had a good heart. He wouldn't hurt a fly," Clark's mother Tiffany Concepcion said. "I'm reaching out because his father can't handle it right now and I can't handle it, but I'm a mother and I'm going to do what I can."
Family and classmates gathered at Eastern Alamance High School for a balloon release in memory of Clark. Clark's cousin, Dontrell Lee played football with him at the school.
"We pushed each other to be better. We did goof off during practice at times but when we were down here we just kept it serious," Lee said. "Devin was a good person."
Jarvis Morgan taught and coached Clark when he enrolled at the school.
"This is the last thing we could’ve ever come close to imagining for him," Morgan said. "If anyone knows anything, we need to make sure that we come together as two communities for Devin and Lyric. This is a tragic situation for two kids who did not deserve this."
L.J. Flintall mentored and coached Clark through his leadership organization, Burlington BULLS.
"Devin was a great kid, we can’t highlight that enough. We’ve heard great things about Lyric. This community, they were all friends," Flintall said. "Let's find justice."
The sheriff's office confirmed it's investigating the deaths as homicides.
Orange County deputies said family members reported Lyric missing Saturday afternoon to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said Clark’s family contacted Mebane police Sunday concerned about where he was.
Men riding four-wheelers discovered the bodies of two teenagers just before 3 p.m. Sunday.
"This loss is devastating for the victims’ families and friends, and indeed for the entire community," Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said.
ABSS released the following statement Monday afternoon:
"Devin was a former Eagles Football player and will always be remembered as a kindhearted, gentle giant who was well liked by his classmates.
The loss of a student is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in students. During this time, as the school community processes this tragic news and copes with grief, ABSS will have additional counselors from across the district at Eastern High School to support our students and staff.
We encourage families to talk with their children about this tragic event. Discussing thoughts and feelings about this situation is important in helping your child work through their grief.
Our condolences and thoughts go out to Devin’s family, friends, and classmates and to the Orange County School community who are also grieving the loss of a student there."
WFMY News 2 spoke to a man who lives nearby where the bodies were found.
“I had sat down to watch TV for about an hour and then all of the sudden I heard about 10 shots going off altogether and I thought well that's weird this time of night,” neighbor David White said. “It's a horrible thing for anybody to die but when they're young it's like it's much harder.”
Investigators still aren't sure what led up to the shooting – and don't know of any suspects.
The North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office is working to confirm the cause of death of the victims. Both victims appeared to have been shot to death.