TAMPA, Fla. — Three years ago, a Tampa man lost his son to gun violence.

Nadji Rivera was shot and killed at a birthday party on Aug. 28, 2021, and his father Manuel Rivera is continuing to seek justice and wants answers as to what happened.

It was a quiet and emotional Wednesday for Rivera, as he returned to the Riviera apartment complex where his son was struck by a bullet.

“It was supposed to be a day of celebration, not a day of grief,” said Rivera.

Nadji was Rivera’s only son, and he says it’s been difficult to for him.

“Every picture here was taken with something valuable, every memory, everything we did together, from the last moment to the last day I was with him,” he said.

Rivera says his son had a whole life ahead of him, and has made it his mission to attend every meeting about gun violence in the city.

“Tampa has had too many crimes, especially involving young children, and it’s still continuing to this day,” he said. “I just want my son’s case to be known and never go unsolved.”

Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to the Tampa Police Department about this case and in a statement, they said in part: “Detectives have been working tirelessly for the past three years, following every lead, and working to gather every bit of evidence they can find.”

Rivera knows nothing can bring his son back, but he knows every year that passes his son’s name will continue to live on.

“The purpose of today is to celebrate his life and everything he was and to see if we can continue to fight for justice,” he said.

Holding his pictures a bit tighter, Rivera is maintaining his hope that his son’s case will be solved and will fight so no other family has to go through the same pain. 

Crimestoppers (1-800-873-TIPS) is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.