'A special kid': High school sports star shot to death near United Center days after 16th birthday

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Darrion Williams just turned 16 years old one week ago.

His stepmother said he was so excited to celebrate this weekend. A birthday party was planned for this Saturday that sadly, will no longer happen.

Williams' family is struggling coming to terms with the fact that the fun-loving 16-year-old boy is now gone.

"They took a special kid away. They did," said Audrey Welch-Williams, the victim's stepmother. "It tore me up, because I had just spoken with him, and he said, 'I love you too.' And I'm like, that was the last thing that I got from him."

Around 11 p.m. on Friday, Chicago police said Williams was walking on the sidewalk in the 2100 block of West Randolph Street when someone wearing dark clothing began shooting at him. Williams was taken to Stroger hospital, where died a short time later.

"He had a lot of people and mentors that were in his life. So, it wasn't like he strayed away. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Welch-Williams said.

He was a playful and sometimes shy kid who came from a loving family, his stepmother said. Williams was also a football and basketball star at Crane Medical Prep High School on the Near West Side.

He was only a sophomore and already a key player on both varsity teams.

"We had anticipations for him going to prom, and maybe probably even getting drafted from somewhere, because he was totally varsity, and he did both sports and he did them well," Welch-Williams said.

Those anticipations were shattered as cheerful moments they shared became memories.

"I want everybody to know that he was a beautiful kid. And what happened, he didn't deserve it," Welch-Williams said.

Chicago police said as of right now, no one is in custody as detectives continue their investigation.