NORCROSS, Ga. — A metro Atlanta family honored a man with a balloon release at the site of his death. On Apr. 28, Jerrett Mitchell was shot and killed at Discover Wings off Indian Trail Lilburn Road in Norcross.
The balloon release is happening just over a week from Jerrett's 23rd birthday. It's still difficult for his mother, Dekenya Thornton. She said each day without her son is unbearable.
"Eight days is like the worst pain ever," she said. "I feel so hurt and so lost that they did this to him."
The shooting happened around 6 p.m. Mitchell's father had just spoken to him an hour earlier. Thornton said the family moved from Chicago to prevent something like this from happening.
"That's the capital murder city of the world. So, we came to Georgia to get away from that -- better life for my kids," Thornton added. "We grew up in the projects."
Mitchell, who his family called "Baby," was out shopping for his birthday the day he died. He stopped for some wings and his family never saw him again. Mitchell has six siblings, had hopes to become a rapper, and was working on a fashion brand.
"He was at the studio, pretty much, twice a day. So, it was really big to him," Joccara said, his oldest sister. "And it's messed up that my brother doesn't get to go on. And he doesn't get to live his dream of being a rapper."
Mitchell's loved ones returned to the scene of the crime Saturday to fill the sky with purple, his favorite color.
Joccara said knowing her brother's killer could still be out there leaves one verse of his song unwritten.
"I just want the police to find the person who did this," Joccara said. "You really did take somebody important away from us."
"The life that you took away from my brother, that he can't live, they need to give you that time," Joccara added. "He should not be released, he should not get parole or bond—none of that."
Another person was also injured in the shooting.
There was an arrest warrant issued for the alleged shooter. 11Alive reached out for an update from Gwinnett Police about the case and we're waiting to hear back.
The family set up a fundraiser online to help with funeral expenses. Mitchell's birthday is May 14. The funeral is set for May 20.