a sad day that stretched into the night here at rancho catadi high. a special vigil for the 17-year- old, as you said, killed just weeks shy of her graduation. when school officials said that tonight's ceremony was her graduation ceremony. on what they call the senior stage tonight, an emotional memorial to a senior who will never walk across the graduation stage. >> i thought i was tough until i came in this morning, and it's not easy. >> reporter: shop teacher john rossy describes 17-year-old ashley carlson as a selfless teen, always willing to help others. like everyone here, he is stunned by her death. >> i don't look at them as students, i look at them as my children, and i lost one of them today. >> reporter: her heartbroken mother comforted by the crowd was too shaken to say much else publicly. carlson's long time boyfriend shared his memory. >> goofy. >> reporter: smiling briefly when he talked about their relationship, and the first day they met. >> her smile which i saw all the way across the classroom. >> you remember it that first day. >>

a sad day that stretched into the night here at rancho catadi high. a special vigil for the 17-year- old, as you said, killed just weeks shy of her graduation. when school officials said that tonight's ceremony was her graduation ceremony. on what they call the senior stage tonight, an emotional memorial to a senior who will never walk across the graduation stage. >> i thought i was tough until i came in this morning, and it's not easy. >> reporter: shop teacher john rossy describes 17-year-old ashley carlson as a selfless teen, always willing to help others. like everyone here, he is stunned by her death. >> i don't look at them as students, i look at them as my children, and i lost one of them today. >> reporter: her heartbroken mother comforted by the crowd was too shaken to say much else publicly. carlson's long time boyfriend shared his memory. >> goofy. >> reporter: smiling briefly when he talked about their relationship, and the first day they met. >> her smile which i saw all the way across the classroom. >> you remember it that first day. >>