The family of Eric Simmons III is trying to come to terms with the tragic loss of the beloved teenager, but they still don’t know why he was gunned down just after getting off his school bus.
“It’s just been devastating. A kid trying to do the right thing, coming from school, getting off the bus, he had his whole life ahead of him,” said Eric Simmons Jr.
They are searching for answers after police say 17-year-old Eric Simmons III was shot and killed in Hollygrove.
According to the NOPD, the teenager was wearing his school uniform when several unidentified men approached him and opened fire.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think that it’s fair that my son went to school and couldn’t even come home to put his bookbag down,” said Angelique Drummer.
Loved ones describe him as a bright kid with a passion for sports and his academics. He was a senior at Carver High School, preparing for graduation, but sadly, his family won’t see him walk across the stage.
“He was excited, this was his last year of school, it’s messed up, he almost was done,” said Simmons Jr.
On Sunday, his family, friends and classmates gathered to pay tribute and lift up the young life gone too soon.
“We are so sorry, and we are praying and looking up to god to help us,” said his grandmother, Shawanda Jackson.
While they pray for healing, they are turning to the community for support to help figure out who killed their child.
“We are not going to just sit down and let this be another number, another youth gone. It shouldn’t have happened and we want justice from every angle,” said Jackson.
NOPD says while no suspects are in custody, the shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information should call police.
READ MORE:Family of 17-year-old shot and killed searching for answers
