‘We’re losing our kids out here’: Vigil held for 23-year-old shot and killed on Friday

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Friends and family gathered Tuesday to remember the life of Antione Christian, who was shot and killed on Friday near Fairfield Court.

Christian was the first homicide victim of a string of homicide investigations over the last five days in Richmond.

”We losing our kids out here. I was prepared for mine to bury me,” Shakira Christian, Christian’s mom, said. “I’m not ready.“

Those who knew Christian best called him Twonnie and remembered the 23-year-old for the respect he showed everyone.

“I said, ‘Yo’ man, pull your pants up. He had some items in his hands, he carefully put the items down, he pulled his pants up, and walked out the door,” a speaker said at the vigil. “That’s the respect he showed me, the respect he showed his elders also, and I’m going to miss him.”

His family also remembered Christian for his smile.

”What I am going to miss the most is his beautiful smile,” Shakira said. “My baby had a beautiful smile.”

Christian was killed after police were called to an apartment on Phaup St. just after 9:30 p.m. Friday for a shooting.

Officers found Christian with a gunshot wound, unresponsive, and was later pronounced dead.

Christians’s mom said she grew up in Fairfield Court and nurtured other children in her neighborhood, but after what happened to her son, she said she could never go back.

”They did me dirty. I could never ever under any circumstances step back in front of Fairfield,” Shakira said.

Christian’s mom is asking parents to talk to their kids about what they are doing.

She said her son made some mistakes but did not deserve this.

”My heart actually hurts. This is not a game; there’s nothing I can do to fix this, and I always fix anything he needs me to fix,” Shakira said. “I can’t do this one. Talk to your kids.”

At Tuesday’s vigil, it was said police are still looking to make an arrest.

If you know anything, please call crime solvers at (804)-780-1000.

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