Community vigil to remember Calvin Riley: Questions still remain as to who shot, killed Serra High School graduate

Thursday’s vigil at San Mateo’s Central Park will mark just over six months since his death and will give community members a chance to remember Riley, who played baseball as a Serra High School Padre for four years, including two years with the varsity team.

For Sean Riley, the death of his son and the impact it has had on the community has been a shocking reminder to take nothing for granted.

“A lot of people have put their lives in perspective now because of what happened,” he said.

The outpouring of support from Serra High School; St. Gregory School, where Calvin Riley’s sister is in fifth-grade; and the San Mateo community has helped Sean Riley come to terms with the loss of his eldest son.

“The whole community’s done more than I can ask for,” he said. “I can’t say enough about the Serra and St. Gregory’s community.”

A shortstop and pitcher, Calvin Riley was named an All-West Catholic Athletic League second-team utility player as a senior in 2015. He played at San Joaquin Delta College as a freshman in 2016.

Sean Riley, who has coached many of his son’s teammates and friends, said a connection with those teammates and friends has been a strong source of support. As an assistant varsity coach at Serra in 2012 and 2013, Sean Riley remained active with the San Mateo high school baseball community even as he transitioned to an assistant coach position at Santa Clara University in 2013. He is now the head coach of Menlo School’s varsity baseball team, which played in a scrimmage game against Serra on Feb. 13.

At an opening ceremony prior to the game, the Serra Padres retired Calvin Riley’s jersey No. 9 in a tribute to the former player who, like his father, has been a mentor to countless other baseball players.

“My son, he was a great Padre,” he said. “He was always involved with everybody else, helped everybody else out. He’s left a legacy, that’s all I can say.”

Serra baseball coach Craig Gianinno has seen the impact of Calvin Riley’s death on the extensive network of teammates and friends who remember his example.

“A lot of our guys were mentored by him, or were friends with him, or just knew him,” he said. “They’ve all been hurt by this devastation and they are reminded daily of Calvin’s spirit being with us at all times.”

Gianinno said the team will be dedicating the season to Calvin Riley, who he said always cared deeply for others’ happiness before his own.

“Calvin was close to all of his brothers at Serra, younger and older,” he said. “It’s been an incomprehensible tragedy. His personality reflected all the values that represent a Padre. He was loving, he was kind, he always had a smile.”

Thomas McCarthy, a senior baseball player at Serra, remembers Calvin Riley’s generosity well. Two years older than McCarthy, Calvin Riley was a varsity mentor guiding him through everything from acclimating to high school to showing him what it meant to give 100 percent in every game.

“When you’re a freshman going into high school, you’re kind of all over the place,” McCarthy said. “He made me feel like I was family.”

McCarthy was in middle school and being coached by Sean Riley when he met Calvin Riley. Once they became high school teammates, their bond grew deeper. McCarthy remembers taking the train with Calvin on weeknights to visit Sean Riley at Santa Clara, just to talk baseball.

“He was the greatest Padre,” he said. “You’d see him in the hall, and he would have a genuine conversation with you. That’s what I strive to be like today.”

McCarthy said Serra players will wear a patch on the left shoulder of their uniforms with Calvin Riley’s initials and No. 9 this season, and that they have framed and hung his jersey in the team locker room.

“Every time we walk in it is a reminder of how much he meant to the program,” he said.

Patrick Caulfield, a senior on Serra’s baseball team this year and one of Calvin Riley’s mentees, has also felt the impact of his death.

“We think about Cal every day and do everything in his honor, no matter how tired or weak we may feel, we keep going for him,” he said in an email.

Like McCarthy, Caulfield is also close with the Riley family and will be speaking at Thursday’s vigil along with Sean Riley.

“We as a community have grieved his passing ever since August, but now it is time to put focus on finding the coward who committed this unforgettable act of evil,” Caulfield said.

U.S. Park Police Capt. Jerry Marshall confirmed the investigation into the shooting death is ongoing. Marshall said video footage taken from a building nearby the busy tourist destination was uncovered and analyzed through collaboration between several law enforcement agencies.

“We have identified some vehicles we believe are associated with the individual who may have committed this act,” he said.

Marshall said the footage was not high quality, making identification of the assailant difficult. Authorities are looking for a male suspect in his early 20s described as black or Hispanic. Police have interviewed witnesses who were present in the area at the time of the shooting as well as several individuals who knew Calvin Riley. Marshall said police have not identified any suspects among those who were close to the victim.

Marshall said anyone who may have information relevant to the investigation is encouraged to call the U.S. Park Police tip line at (415) 561-5150.

Though Gianinno admits Calvin Riley’s passing still does not feel real, he knows the young man’s spirit continues to have a positive impact on his team. He said no Padre will go through the Serra program without understanding the values Calvin stood for.

“I’ve come to learn not only the impact he made on people when he was here,” he said. “His spirit now has in many ways transformed several people that he never even maybe knew.”

Those who might have information related to Calvin Riley’s death may call the U.S. Park Police’s tip line at (415) 561-5150.

A candlelight vigil for Calvin Riley begins 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at Central Park, 50 E. Fifth Ave., San Mateo.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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