MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis family and his larger youth football family are grieving the shooting death of Rodriques Minor, 15, who went by 'Lil Rocky'.
His coaches and mentors told ABC24 on Tuesday Minor and a 16-year-old girl weren't the intended targets when someone fired shots at Riverside Drive and Beale Street in downtown Memphis, hitting both.
Minor, a Trezevant High School freshman, died at the hospital.
His longtime coaches and others met at Trezevant on Tuesday to discuss the next steps in stemming the recent tide of gun violence impacting those 16 and younger in the past week.
A walk is planned later this month to honor Minor's life but also make an urgent call to the broader community to put down the guns. The walk also plans to increase the peace and for more adult mentors to step up.
On Tuesday, those mentors who knew Minor for years fought their emotions as they paid tribute.
"He wasn't the biggest kid but he had the biggest heart, he'd go up against anybody," Memphis Shelby PAL Coach Lee Berry said.
From the age of six and on, Coach Berry knew Minor carried something special, on the field and off it.
"He's always been a great kid, he was just a kid you loved to be around, he was positive," Coach Berry added.
But gun violence ended the 15-year-old's future Saturday night when someone fired shots in downtown Memphis.
"He wasn't the intended target, he was just down there enjoying himself like he always does," Coach Berry said.
ABC24 also learned just hours before the shooting, Minor achieved a longtime goal, launching a clothing line.
"A lot of big dreams, I knew for a fact he was going to make it, that's how much of a hard worker he was, no matter what you say, he was going to try the best in everything that he tried to do," Coach Berry said.
"We lost a very intelligent, very warmhearted young man to this community and we are going to take action," Memphis Shelby PAL CEO Sgt. Craig Littles said.
Sgt. Littles knew Minor and his family for years when he excelled with the Memphis Giants.
"It's just something that we are all really heartbroken about and we are trying to work together to overcome the situation," Sgt. Littles added.
Sgt. Littles and Coach Berry say Minor's unexpected shooting death will serve as motivation to increase the peace in neighborhoods and recruit more adults to join the cause as mentors.
"It's already terrible and it's getting even worse every year, the summer hasn't even hit, just imagine when summer hit if they are doing all this, the police can't be everywhere all the time," Coach Berry said.
"PAL exists for positive engagement between cops, kids, and communities, this just sets more understanding, more light on the need," Coach Berry said.
Minor's loved ones launched a GoFundMe page on Tuesday to help the family with funeral expenses. You can click here to donate.