Friends of a young New Brunswick man found dead in Alberta are trying to cope with the loss as they wait for answers in the case.

Police say the body of 18-year-old Allen Neil Wilson was found Sunday near Stony Plain, west of Edmonton.

Wilson recently graduated from JMA Armstrong High School in Salisbury, N.B. He was pursuing a career as an electrician and had been living and working in Alberta when he died.

“It was just back in June that we all told him good luck in the future,” says friend Kyle Whitely. “You’re heading out west and now it’s this and it’s just unbelievable.”

Police have released few details about Wilson’s death but are treating it as a homicide. No arrests have been made.

Meanwhile, Wilson’s friends say they are trying to focus on the good times as they try to come to terms with the tragedy.

“He’s always that guy that would walk by and he’d ask ya how you were doing and no matter what, no matter when, in the morning he’d see ya, even if he didn’t know ya, he’d always have a smile on his face and he’d be concerned about how ya are and what’s going on,” says friend Jay Smith.

Roughly 300 to 400 students attend JMA Armstrong High School and many say things just haven’t been the same since they heard about Wilson’s death.

“I actually woke up this morning after it happened and saw on Facebook and it was just tragic and I didn’t have a good day at school,” says friend Cody Lewis. “No one really did. It was a silent day.”

Wilson was a well-known basketball player in his community and family friend Victoria Mutch says it was his love of the game that inspired her to play.

“It’s going to be weird. Whenever he was in town he would come in and watch one of our games and it’s just going to be different this basketball season,” says Mutch. “I’m definitely going to try to win for him and do it for him.”

CTV News reached out to Wilson’s family but they are requesting privacy at this time.

Allen is survived by his parents, four brothers and a sister, as well as several other extended family members.

According to Wilson's obituary, visitation will be held Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Salisbury Funeral Home. The funeral is scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Dunbar