‘I raised a king’: Mother speaks out after son was killed in Clayton County mass shooting
Family of teenager killed in mass shooting shares his story
A woman who lost her teenage son to gun violence says he was trying to break up a fight before getting shot. FOX 5 report over the weekend about a mass shooting in Clayton County. The high school graduate's mother shares her story of unimaginable loss.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - Nineteen-year-old Kiyre Allen was just starting life.
Over the weekend, somebody with a gun shot and killed him outside an apartment complex off Riverdale Road in Clayton County.
FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo spoke exclusively with Allen’s mom Catrice, who says he just graduated from Creekside High School in May.
"He’s Mr. Creekside," Allen said, clutching the crown he wore after classmates voted to give him that title. "I have this crown to remind me that I raised a king."
The teen was among five people shot outside the Parks at Leeds in Clayton County on Saturday night.
He was the only one who didn’t make it.
"Getting that phone call is the worst phone call a mother can ever get," Allen said.
Police haven’t said what led up to all of it, but Catrice Allen said it all started when someone accused him and his friends of stealing a dirt bike.
"They said my son was trying to defuse it, saying, ‘No, we don’t get down like that.’"
Loved ones say Kiyre was an aspiring rap artist and entertainer.
His mom says they were recording at a friend’s home studio.
She says the killer confronted the teens as they were leaving to go to a show.
"They just shot up the car and my son was dead on arrival."
Kanya Burden, the victim’s cousin, laid at least some of the blame on Gov. Brian Kemp’s new open carry law.
"He didn’t deserve any of this at all. He had a bright future," Burden said, crying. "They need to change the laws about the guns because everybody’s just dying. No one deserves to go through this at all."
Clayton PD investigators have not said if they have a suspect.
Through it all, Catrice Allen says she forgives the person who murdered her only son and best friend.
"I know he’s ok," she said. "I know he’s in heaven."
The 19-year-old’s family pleads to anyone with information about his death to go to Clayton police or call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS, with which you can remain anonymous.