The funeral began at 10 a.m. at the Methodist Baptist Church in Altadena. He was later laid to rest at Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary in Whittier.
Friends and family wore purple ribbons with McDade's picture to honor him. His Azusa High School football jersey, No. 18, was on display.
"We don't know what he could've been, but we know he was special," said Anthony Mitchell, a family friend. "The way he lost his life was very tragic. It hurt."
McDade's friends stood in line and held up the funeral service programs as the casket made its way to the hearse.
In the program, McDade's mother wrote, "Deep down inside my heart is broken and I am sad that you are gone. But I know you are in a better place that we all would like to call home. Our time together was short when God decided to call you home. But you will remain in my heart forever long."
McDade was shot and killed March 24 after Oscar Carrillo called 911 to report a theft by McDade and another teenager at a taco truck in Pasadena. Police say Carrillo lied to the dispatcher, saying that McDade and the other teen both had guns.
When officers arrived on scene, they pursued McDade and the other teen. Police say they thought McDade was armed, so they shot him when he reached for his waistband. The college student did not have a weapon.
Carrillo admitted that he lied about McDade having a weapon to get police to respond quickly. He was arrested March 28 and jailed on a federal immigration hold but was released with an electronic monitor April 2. Prosecutors have declined to charge Carrillo with involuntary manslaughter.
The shooting has sparked outrage in the community. McDade's family has filed a wrongful death suit against the city of Pasadena and the FBI plans to launch an investigation. The lawsuit alleges wrongful death, negligence and a violation of McDade's civil rights.
According to the lawsuit, McDade "did not die immediately." After being shot multiple times in the chest, the lawsuit alleges McDade "tried to talk with officers" but was left on the street "for a protracted period of time without ... first aid and he died at the hospital."
Jeffrey Newlen and Mathew Griffin, the Pasadena police officers involved in the shooting, were placed on paid administrative leave.
