TROY, Ala. (WSFA) – La’Tavion Johnson was a teenager who lived for his family and friends. He was just 18 years old and was going to start his career with the Alabama Department of Transportation next week.

This dream was interrupted in the early morning hours of Sunday. Gunshots heard at a party at Tuskegee University in the midst of homecoming festivities.

When the fighting stopped, Johnson was dead and at least 16 people were injured. Authorities said a dozen of those injuries were caused by a gunshot.

It’s the call no parent wants to receive, but Tamika and Larry Johnson’s world is shattered when their friends on campus call to tell them their son has been murdered.

Friends, family and the community gathered at their home in Troy on Monday to let them know they are not alone in this. It was here that the grieving parents spoke to the media about their son’s life, which involved the people he loved.

Those who knew La’Tavion Johnson described him as a “vibrant soul” and his mother jokingly described him as a “mama’s boy,” although he told the media, not jokingly, “He was my baby.”

“He was a loving person,” his father said. “The life he lived…” he started to shout, but could not complete this thought due to his pain.

The family was already mourning the death of another child when this tragedy occurred. La’Tavion Johnson’s sister died recently, leaving behind a son. The teenager was helping the family raise his nephew.

“It makes me sad to be here again, to see them grieving,” said his aunt, Shajuana Jackson.

While the Johnson family mourns, they plan to honor their son’s life and fight for justice and change. Larry Johnson said he plans to encourage more people to put down their guns.

“I wish I could touch one person and stop gun violence. It really hurts, it hurts. “You kidnap your child because someone wants to shoot,” he said in tears.

La’Tavion Johnson’s parents weren’t the only ones who got emotional as they remembered their loved one. He also had a girlfriend named Jalyn Youngblood. The couple was planning a future together, even discussing how many children they would have.

“It’s like I planned my whole life with someone, but he’s not there anymore. I don’t know what to do anymore,” Youngblood said.

“Everyone loved him and it’s so sad that he had to die this way,” he said.

Some of her cousins ​​and friends who were with her at the block party described how she was dancing and having a good time before the chaos began.

Her friend Janyla Avery, who survived the injuries, said, “Our only purpose was to have fun. And one thing about us is that we never leave each other. “We’ll all come together, everyone will go together, and I really don’t understand.”

One person was arrested in the crime, but was not charged in connection with the actual attack. Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery, is federally charged with possession of a machine gun.

It’s unclear what will happen next in terms of charges as the investigation continues.

Mass shooting in action immediate changes to campus safety protocols. Effective immediately, everyone visiting campus will need identification, Tuskegee University President Mark Brown said at a news conference Monday. Additionally, the head of campus security was fired and replaced, and the entire security team will also be reviewed.

Brown noted that the incident in which the attack took place was not confirmed by Tuskegee University.

Authorities neither explained the reason for the attack nor took questions at the press conference. Johnson’s family also said they did not know the cause of the incident and did not know what they suspected.

Johnson’s funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

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