Friends, family pay tribute to 18-year-old killed in Gulfport double homicide
“If you have a kid and he leaves home, just hug them and tell them that you love them because sometimes you don’t know if they’re coming home,” said the teen’s mother.
GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - The investigation continues into what led to the shooting death of a pair of young men in Gulfport. Friends and family of 18-year old Teraye Preston gathered Thursday night to honor his memory and call for an end to the violence.
Those gathered shared memories of Teraye and released blue balloons into the sky. Seeing so many gathered to remember her son brought comfort to the teen’s mother Kendrick Tillman, but the heartbreak remains.
“If you have a kid and he leaves home, just hug them and tell them that you love them because sometimes you don’t know if they’re coming home,” said Tillman. “If you know that they have guns or around guns try to do as much as you can, don’t give up, don’t give up so you don’t have to be like me.”
Tillman’s son Teraye Preston and 19-year old Juan Harvey Junior lost their lives to gun violence on Tuesday in a neighborhood off Pass Road. Seeing the crime scenes and the tributes following, have become all to routine for many of those gathered including Teraye’s aunt Melissa Tillman.
“Hopefully this will be an enlightenment on how we need to be more involved in our kids lives, so that they won’t be going down the wrong path,” said Melissa.
Those of all ages, young and old are now grieving, including Brent Jones who is grieving the loss of his brother and he made a plea in hopes of preventing future loss.
“We have to all stick together and realize that we are all we got, if we keep doing this to each other then this is what we’ll continue to have to do,” said Jones.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact Gulfport Police at 228-868-5959. Anonymous tips can also be made to Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers or by calling 877-787-5898.
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