'A very respected young man’: Richmond leaders remember beloved teen killed in accidental shooting
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Monday night relatives of 15-year-old Tyrone Williams confirmed the teenager died after being rushed to the hospital on Sunday afternoon. Police charged a relative, 23-year-old Corey Lewis with involuntary manslaughter.
The teenager’s great aunt, Christine Huff, says the family is asking for prayers that they’ll be granted strength as they continue to process a loss that seems unreal.
Reading a poem written by Tyrone Williams, who at the time had just become a teenager, Delegate Delores McQuinn is taking a solemn trip down memory lane.
“Oh, I have a dream that all children will be successful, that grown-ups will help their children be successful...That people will start caring for each other,” she said reading the teen’s thoughts aloud.
McQuinn met Williams through her summer writing institute for youth in the Richmond area.
“He was the kind of young man that every mother wants for a teenager at that age," she said.
Monday, she learned the now 15-year-old had been killed in an accidental shooting in Richmond.
“It has been very tough....Having a personal relationship with this young man, knowing him as well as I did and the promises and possibility within him, it was even tougher," McQuinn added.
Williams attended Armstrong High School. People describe him as well-mannered and reserved.
“A very respected young man even among his peers," McQuinn said.
Retired Richmond Judge Birdie Jamison is helping comfort the family.
“They are numb and in shock," she said.
She served as a mentor to the teen who also dreamed of being a professional ballplayer.
“He always told me that he was going to go play basketball in the NBA and that he would make sure that I would have tickets for his games," Jamison recalled.
These are the fond memories that are helping get so many through as they reflect on the life of a young man who never stopped dreaming.
“...and that there will be a better world. Tyrone Williams," McQuinn said reading the end of his poem.
A vigil is scheduled for Friday evening at the scene of the shooting to honor Williams’ life.
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