ATLANTA — It's been 53 days since Joshua Ingram was killed.
But for his mother Sheryln, the pain is still as fresh as it was that day.
"I’m still trying to understand, why Josh? He was a sweet guy. Why Josh," she asked.
Joshua was one of two people who died off Auburn Avenue during a violent July Fourth weekend in Atlanta. Ingram and others were gathered outside an apartment complex early in the morning watching fireworks with friends when someone started shooting.
Atlanta Police said 14 people were shot that night. The other victims survived, but Joshua and 32 -year-old Erica Robinson both died.
11Alive spoke exclusively to Ingram's mother after the shooting. Now, on his birthday, his mother said the pain persists, as no arrests have been made.
"There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t cry for my son, for my baby," Sheryln said. "My heart aches."
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"I cannot sleep at night," she added. "I still can not sleep at night because I’m always thinking about him."
Sheryln said she couldn't bring herself to bury him, so she had him cremated to keep him close. She said she misses the sacred things about her son.
"Josh was a sweet angel, and he was just that," she described. "Not just because he was my son, but because of his personality, his character, his discipline, his love for Christ and others."
And, she said, for the simple things, too, like his shadow passing down the hallway in their home.
"Or, I can see him dash across my door, and I’m looking for him to dash across that door again, but I know he’s not going to be coming back again," she said.
Photos: Joshua Ingram
Atlanta police released surveillance pictures of four men they believe might be connected to the shootings that night. There's also a $2,000 reward for information. Still, no arrests have been made.
On a day when a mother should be celebrating, instead, Sheryln said she's praying for the suspects.
"I pray for those young men that they will find their way through life and follow the correct path to be responsible, honest and accountable young men," she said, adding that she was begging them to make better choices so their own mothers won't have to live with the pain she does everyday.
"We have lost one of our leaders of tomorrow," Sheryln said.
"I pray for peace," she added. "I pray that we can come together."
There's a balloon release at a park where Joshua often spent time with friends. His family is looking to start a scholarship in his name, not necessarily for the well-behaved teens like himself, but for those who family said are troubled or teen offenders.
Meanwhile, Atlanta Police said there are not any updates in the case at this time. The investigation is ongoing.