A 51-year-old Sheboygan man died Friday morning after a bicycle incident in the parking lot of Horace Mann Middle School, prompting the school to cancel classes for the day.
Sheboygan Police were called to the school around 6:40 a.m. Officers found Gabriel "Gabe" Solis dead from injuries sustained in the incident. Police say no other vehicles were involved and no other people are being sought. The Sheboygan County Medical Examiner is investigating.
The Sheboygan Area School District canceled classes at Horace Mann Middle School for the day.
Those who knew Solis say he spent his entire life in Sheboygan. He worked at Piggly Wiggly for years, loved the Green Bay Packers, and rarely went anywhere without his bike. He did not own a car, instead riding his bicycle all over town and taking photos of the things many people pass by every day.
His brother Joseph Solis remembered him as someone whose presence spoke for itself.
"Just a smile. It said it all," Joseph said.
Joseph described his brother as someone who embraced life fully.
"He loved his job. Come out, ride his bike, like I said, enjoy life, and then ride all the way down to the woods, ride past the lake," Joseph said.
Friends say Solis was a fixture at Big Mike's Bar on Indiana Avenue, a place many called his second home. Friend Amanda Beniger said his presence was impossible to miss.
"Gabe was amazing. He would come in and he would light up every room he would walk into. He always wanted to play darts and have fun and he just would talk about everything from his day to work to see how we are. He just cared about all of us," Beniger said.
Solis had recently taken up darts and was planning to practice with friends the same Friday morning he died.
"He started doing darts in the last year and he absolutely loved shooting darts and he wanted to play in leagues and he would come here and want us to practice with him," Beniger said.
A family friend echoed that sentiment, describing how Solis documented the world around him.
"He rode everywhere and took pictures of everything, morning, night, evening, the lake, everything," the friend said.
Renee Kramer, who owns Big Mike's with her husband Mike Kramer, said Solis was much more than a regular customer.
"My husband and I are heartbroken by this tragic news," Kramer said. "Gabe was very kind. He wasn't just a patron at Big Mike's — he was everybody's friend. We're all family here, and Gabe was a big part of that family."
Kramer described Solis as a genuine, caring person known for his generosity and positive spirit.
"He had a very kind soul and was truly a great guy, inside and out," Kramer said. "He'd give you the shirt off his back. He will be deeply missed."
Kramer said she remains in shock after learning of Solis' death.
"Receiving that phone call was not something I was expecting," Kramer said. "This is a tremendous loss for everyone who knew and loved him."
Friends say they plan to honor Solis' memory with a benefit event in his name.
For Joseph, the pain of losing his younger brother is still raw. But he hopes people take one lesson from his brother's life.
"Before you go to bed, say you love everybody. It's the best thing you can do," Joseph said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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