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Mentor mourns death of 18-year-old killed in southwest Atlanta shooting

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Published  November 6, 2024 5:46pm EST
SW Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Atlanta mentor mourns teen killed by gunfire

Keith Lewis, the founder of "I'm a Father First" gave a tear-filled interview with FOX 5 Atlanta as he talked about his mentee, 18-year-old Raquavious Ferguson, who was killed during a fight that broke out near Morehouse College.

The Brief

    • Raquavious Ferguson, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate, was killed in a double shooting in southwest Atlanta.
    • Keith Lewis, founder of I'm a Father First, had mentored Ferguson for over five years and described him as a respectful and gentle individual.
    • The shooting occurred after a large fight in front of an apartment complex near Morehouse College, with a 14-year-old also injured.
    • Surveillance footage suggests that all the individuals involved, including the injured 14-year-old, were armed.
    • Although one person was taken into custody following the incident, it has not been confirmed whether they were charged in relation to the shooting.

ATLANTA - Officials have identified the 18-year-old who was killed in a double shooting in southwest Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office identified him as Raquavious Ferguson.

Ferguson graduated from Atlanta’s Booker T. Washington High School in May. He can be seen smiling in a clip Atlanta Public Schools posted on its website.

Just months later, Atlanta police say he died in a double shooting on the city’s southwest side.

"He was just welcoming," said Keith Lewis, founder of I’m a Father First. "I say stay safe because I knew what he was battling over here.

Lewis says he mentored Ferguson for more than five years.

"Sometimes I guess you can't save everybody," he said.

Raquavious Ferguson seen in a video from Booker T. Washington High School graduation in May 2024.

Raquavious Ferguson seen in a video from Booker T. Washington High School graduation in May 2024.

For Lewis, this loss has not been easy.  

"It’s hard when you know, somebody really is trying to get out of this environment that they grew up in because he grew up right over here and this is poverty at its lowest, lowest form," Lewis said.

Atlanta police say Ferguson died Tuesday afternoon after a large fight led to gunfire in front of an apartment complex near the intersection of Sells Avenue and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard near Morehouse College.

Atlanta police say a 14-year-old was also shot, but his identity has not been released.

Lewis says his son was friends with Ferguson. They learned of his passing late Tuesday.

"He was always about respect," Lewis said. "We deal with a lot of kids that are bad, but he wasn't like that. He literally was gentle, but he was not to play with.

Investigators say they have surveillance video, which appears to show that everyone, including the 14-year-old, was armed. For Lewis, despite losing Ferguson, his work to help those in the community continues.

"I just want all the young men that I work with to know that we love them," he said.

Atlanta police took one person into custody Tuesday night, but it is unclear if that person was charged in connection with the shooting.