Now his family is planning his funeral instead of planning for his future.
“I hope he’s in a better place now, and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Lewis’ brother Yasir Carthon.
On Friday, friends and family gathered to remember Lewis, who police said was shot Wednesday inside a takeout restaurant at the corner of 37th and Wallace Streets.
“We just loved him, and he loved us, and he also loved life,” said a cousin, Vivienne Samuel.
Police said that after 9 pm, three men got down from a palanquin and fired at least 19 bullets at a 19-year-old man standing inside. Police found him lying on the floor, suffering multiple bullet wounds to the chest and torso.
“It was a kid who was just going to the store. Our kids can no longer go to the store like we have to protect our kids,” said Crystal Williams, an aunt.
A recent Roman Catholic high school graduate played football for the school. His family says you can see how much he loved the number of people who came out on Friday.
“He is looking at us as I am talking, and as we are all gathered here tonight, he never wanted to hurt anyone. He was always looking out for everyone,” says Jaylen McGlone , said a cousin.
It also includes his 9-year-old brother, wearing a shirt emblazoned with a snapshot of one of his many football memories.
“I loved him as much as I could,” Carthon said.
The school issued a statement calling Makai “a gentle giant with a winning smile,” with grief counseling available for students.
Police are still searching for the gunmen responsible.
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