"We definitely need justice. It was a lot of kids in this house that day," said Joycelyn Fikes, the victim's aunt.
Loved ones gathered in mourning and with purpose as they sent balloons high up in the sky while still grounded in heartache.
"It's just so crazy to me that that had happened. Like, we should've had more time to spend with each other," said Sumeyre Jacobs, the victim's 14-year-old brother.
And that time cut short was remembered outside the home near 77th and Rhodes where, police say, the 16-year-old Woodlawn High School student was found upstairs in a room with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
"I guess one of the little boys was in the house playing with the gun, and the gun went off," Fikes said.
It happened just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday during what, relatives say, was a late-night unsupervised teen party.
"I wish that we knew that he was here because I would've personally came and got him," said Veronica Harris, the victim's aunt. "Guns are in the hands of these teenagers, and it's taking our kids away from us."
Messages left for the landlord were not returned.
When asked, police wouldn't say if or how many times officers were ever called to that home. They also wouldn't say if anyone was taken into custody regarding the shooting, only saying there are no updates at this time while the investigation remains ongoing.
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