RICHMOND, Va. — A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed while riding his scooter in Richmond Sunday evening.
Family identified the teen as Darkell Jones.
Richmond police found Jones unresponsive at the intersection of East 11th and Hull streets. Police are still investigating a motive.
Jones' aunt confirmed the details with me, saying she hopes police can make a quick arrest to bring her family closure.
His family told me he was little with a big heart and attended Richmond Technical Center.
Michael Winfree, the pastor at New Life Deliverance Tabernacle, echoed that message.
He said he saw Jones in church Sunday morning, just hours before the shooting.
"He was like my son," Winfree said. "It's kind of difficult to understand because here is a young man who visited and worshiped with us at our church, and then he actually worked with me throughout the week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and to hear the news that he has succumbed to another senseless, violent death with that relates to guns, it was a gut kick unto me."
For nearly three years, Winfree said the teen found a place within the church, not just as a volunteer, but as a young man searching for direction.
"We have a ministry here that primarily deals with distribution of food to the community. I would go to several spots where we will receive donations from various places, and he would be the one to help me load the van. And after loading the van, then we go out to several apartments in the community to provide food for them," Winfree said. "We kind of took him under our wing and shared many things with him so that he might know how to go out into the community and be a productive young man."
As questions linger as to why this happened, Winfree called for accountability and unity.
Through it all, Winfree holds onto the message he tried to instill in Jones during their time together.
"It's tough for not just me, but it's tough for the community that knew him, because he shared so many things with us, and he worked here in a capacity where all of us have begun to know who he was, and just after finding out now it's really a wrenching gut kick," Winfree said. "I tried to get him to understand that what he needed in his life the most was to have God in it. And then God would direct him as to the way in which he should go and as well as the way he should grow."
Jones would have turned 16 next week. Police ask anyone with information to call 804-780-1000.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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