DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The death of a 13-year-old boy whose body was found near a park in Lithonia earlier this week has been ruled a homicide, according to DeKalb Police.
DeKalb County Police said in a brief statement on Wednesday that Jamiren Crosby's death remains under investigation, and they ask anyone who might have information to contact the DeKalb County Police Department Homicide Unit at 770-724-7850.
On Monday, a witness told 11Alive's Cody Alcorn she found Jamiren's body while on a walk with her daughter near a townhome on Parkway Trail.
The woman said they discovered the child in the bushes. She ran and told a neighbor to call 911 because there was someone dead.
Family later identified the boy as Jamiren. They told police he was last seen around 2 a.m. Saturday, when he left home with some new friends.
His mom Chanell Crosby wants to know what happened to her little boy.
"It was senseless, gun violence, it could be envy, jealousy. He didn't know what he was getting himself into as a growing child. As a mother, I just try to be here for him. Redirect him to keep genuine people around him," she said.
Chanell Crosby said she's working closely with police to find the people who were with her son just before his death.
An online fundraiser has been set up to help raise money for Jamiren's funeral and burial.
The mom told 11Alive's Kaitlyn Ross she wants everyone to know who her son was.
In the 5th grade, Chanell said her son Jamiren invited her to his school dance.
"I never wore a prom dress until I went with him. Never wore a prom dress until I went with him," she said.
Photos | Jamiren and Chanell Crosby
Chanell said she didn't finish school so she never went to a dance, and didn’t walk at graduation either. She wanted it to be different for her son.
"I went to everything, his dances, anything. I donated to the school, went to speak to the kids at the school, gave cakes to the school," she said.
She said Jamiren was making straight A's at the DeKalb Alternative School and had just joined the football team.
"I wanted him to know how important education was. Education was everything and it meant so much to teach him," she said.
Chanell said people who loved her son have been telling her all day how sorry they are that he's gone. His 1st and 3rd grade teachers called to tell her what they remembered about him.
"A lot of teachers, it was hard work with Jamiren, but I was always going to push him to make sure he got the best out of the world," she said.