ATLANTA — Members of the community attended a vigil Thursday afternoon to remember 6-month-old Grayson Fleming, who was killed in a drive-by shooting Monday.
Residents of the Dixie Hills neighborhood in northwest Atlanta, where Fleming was shot, organized the vigil. 11Alive was the only TV station there.
Atlanta Police officers who were there that tragic afternoon, and people who work nearby that Food Mart and saw everything happen attended.
Each one held onto a blue balloon, as community members, a pastor, and Zone 1 Commander Major Reginald Moorman, spoke to the crowd.
"I've been in law enforcement for over two decades now and I've worked in various different parts of the police department and you do have certain things that happen in the community that you will never forget. This is one of those," Major Moorman explained.
He was at the Food Mart Monday and wanted to pay his respects at the vigil. Moorman believes that part of the solution to gun violence includes the community coming together as one.
"This has really had a negative effect on this entire community and on this family," he said. "We have to work together as a community. You have representatives from the community [here tonight], you have representatives from the church community, city representatives here, even have representatives from some of the businesses over here. We're all here together tonight, so I think that this is a really good start."
Alex Goodwin was working at a development site not too far from the Food Mart. He remembers hearing 15 gunshots and said he ran to where Grayson and his mother were shortly after.
“When we got there, we saw the mother crying and she fell to her knees," he said. "We saw the empty car seat. We were really scared. We didn't know what was going on. We helped the mother, we grabbed the baby to make sure the baby was okay. We did everything we could.”
Goodwin said his colleague even tried performing CPR on Grayson, as police officers rushed to the scene.
"This is the first time I've ever seen something so traumatic, and it has definitely hindered me. I know that it's a traumatic experience, not only for me, but especially the mother and the rest of the community," he said.
Goodwin, who doesn't live in the neighborhood but works there during the week and was interviewed by police after witnessing everything, said he will always think of the six-month-old baby when he passes by.
"I was here through every moment of it. We stayed until they taped the crime scene off," he concluded. "Every day when I pass here, it hits me. It sucks coming here now. But, we got a job to do and me giving up on community is no excuse. I know that baby is in a better place."
Grayson's mother, Kerri, and grandmother, Barbara, wanted to be at the vigil but could not. 11Alive reporter Paola Suro Facetimed them in.
“He was so precious. Just a perfect, perfect child," said Barbara. "[The vigil is] such a beautiful, beautiful blessing and a way to remember Grayson. I know we're all thankful, and we really want to be there. [Grayson's mother] was very, very taken by everything that was said and all the people that were there and the balloons going up was beautiful."
Those who gathered on that same Food Mart parking lot for Grayson's vigil hope this puts an end to gun violence.
“Gun violence – it wont be tolerated here," said Major Moorman. "It's upsetting to have to have something like this happen to such a small child."
Taryn Bell, who attended the vigil with her young son, agreed.
"A lot of laws need to change," she said. "As a mother, you cannot fathom you are running errands and you look in the back seat and you see your child slumped over. It's absolutely horrific."
Goodwin hopes this is a wake up call for the community which has been through so much.
“There is still hope out there in this community that things will change and nothing like this ever happens again," he said. "I didn't in a million years think that something like this was going to happen. Very shocking."
Towards the end of the vigil, everyone released the blue balloons towards heaven, closer to Grayson.
"When it comes to children, it affects you differently," Bell said. "I'm praying for the family. There's nothing to say, but they are definitely in our hearts, in our thoughts... and we are just so sorry this happened."
There are still fundraisers set up for Grayson's family. Many community members at the vigil were offering free services, including church and funeral services.
The family expressed to 11Alive how grateful they are for everyone's support.