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Mom upset, left searching for answers after son shot, killed on Election Day

Raquavious Ferguson's family says he had bright future ahead of him before someone took his life this week

ATLANTA — An 18-year-old was shot and killed in southwest Atlanta this week. Now, his family is doing what they can to make sure this case is solved, and someone is held responsible for his life being cut short.

On Tuesday, Raquavious Ferguson left his home in the 900 block of Neal Street to play a game of basketball with his friends. He never made it back home. His family is now demanding justice in his case.

His mother said he had his whole life ahead of him and that he was planning on becoming an engineer one day. She doesn't understand why anyone would want to hurt him.

“He was a winner. He was smart. That was my baby, and they took him from me, and I don’t know why," Lashala Ferguson said in tears.

Ferguson has four children, but her son Raquavious, affectionately known as “Raq,” was her heart.

“He said, 'Momma, I’ll be back. I’m going to play basketball.' That’s what he does. He goes to play basketball. He goes to play football and comes back and gets on that game," Ferguson said.

Atlanta Police said later that day Raq was playing basketball, both he and a 14-year-old were shot in the 300 block of Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard SW.

Raquavious was taken to a hospital, where he died.

18-year-old Raquavious Ferguson was shot and killed in southwest Atlanta on Tuesday.

Now, his mom is looking for answers and access to her child.

“They told us I was going to contaminate evidence. They said because it's an investigation, they cannot allow us to interfere with an investigation. They will not allow us to see him," Ferguson explained.

She said police haven’t shared whether they have any suspects in connection with her son's murder.

As she deals with her grief, Lashala said she wants other parents to cherish their children.

“It could happen to anybody. Because I never in a million years thought I’d be burying my son," Ferguson said.

The family will hold a vigil in the 900 block of Neal Street SW on Thursday night.

They plan to honor Raq’s memory with prayers and release blue and white balloons, which were his favorite colors.

The family has also started an online fundraiser for Raq's burial expenses.

You can find a link to that fundraiser here.

11Alive's More Than a Number series seeks to humanize crime coverage by "giving a face to the victim and a voice to the family." If you would like to honor a loved one you lost, you can use the form below or email us at MoreThanANumber@11alive.com to tell us about them, and we will add them to our memorial page

If you need help or support in your time of loss, please visit our resource guide. For more details on this project, please visit 11alive.com/MoreThanANumber.

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