Family of 5th Avenue shooting victim holds balloon release

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - A shooting in a 5th Avenue apartment complex Thursday took the life of 16-year-old Brandan Edwards, Jr.

His family gathered Sunday to honor his life.

“He always smiled,” said grandmother, Yolanda White. “Had the most beautiful smile. Happy, loving, kind, gentle. He was everything I wanted in a grandson.”

The family is still grieving.

“The four-year-old came to me the other night and explained to me, ‘I know Brandan’s dead mama. We want him back. I want my brother’, all night, ‘I want my brother,’ and that’s hard. That’s truly hard,” White said.

White says they’re trying to honor his memory in the best way they can right now.

“We’re looking for peace. We need peace. We need a lot of peace right now.”

Edwards’ cousin Toni Thomas hopes parents take their loss as a lesson.

“Take time. Give your kids your time. That’s all they want because when I was a kid, that’s all I wanted,” Thomas said. “That’s my little cousin. I watched him grow up from a little baby. To this day, I’m still hurt. It’s hurtful I promise you.”

With so many questions still surrounding his death, Edwards’ grandmother hopes the youth step up.

“They have to wake up. They really have to wake up, but more than anything, you really want to know what they want to know? They really need to know Jesus,” White said.

This is still an ongoing investigation.

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