A San Jose City College student was shot and killed as he drove away from a restaurant in Ethiopia on Jan. 9.

Arefany Wynn, a 20-year-old second-year student at SJCC, was shot by a police officer with an AK-47 machine gun in the capital city of Addis Ababa, according to members of Wynn’s family.

An investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and the suspected officer has been arrested members of Wynn’s family said.

Wynn was Austrian, Ethiopian and African-American. His love of his culture was always a part of his personality. On his second trip to Ethiopia, Wynn was learning about his heritage while traveling in his homeland. Wynn departed for Ethiopia on New Year’s Eve to complete the trip before returning to SJCC for the spring semester.

The reality of losing a friend has been difficult for members of the SJCC community.

Narzet Fessahaye, a close friend of Wynn, expressed how she felt when she found out about the death.

“That it couldn’t be real,” she said. “And I was already trying to imagine life without him, and it was indescribable and an unbearable pain.”

Wynn was known for his fun, friendly personality and great attitude.

“Arefany is the type of guy that always jokes around and pranks people. He was just an easygoing type of person,” said SJCC student Genet Alemu. “Even when he gets mad he doesn’t yell or talk bad about anybody. He always kept his cool.”

Wynn also was known for his passion for sports. He attended Santa Clara High School and graduated in 2008.

At SJCC, Wynn was involved in Black Student Union and was interested in pursuing a career in photography.

His remains were sent to his parents in San Jose on Jan. 12. His funeral at Oak Hill Cemetery attracted nearly 300 people, including many SJCC students.

“Arefany was a very loving young man and was loved by a lot of people,” said SJCC student Zayna Ademe. “He will always be missed and never forgotten and I love him very much.”