NORFOLK, Va. — The family of 18-year-old Delanio Vick Jr. described him as a bright kid with big dreams.
Vick Jr. was killed in a shooting at an Old Dominion University parking lot near a dining hall around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The family is heartbroken and upset. They believe Vick Jr. was let down by law enforcement and "ambushed" by another person.
Watch: Norfolk police investigating whether there is a suspect in fatal ODU shooting
"Why him? You know what I mean. It's unfortunate when anybody die, but when you have a good child, a good individual, a good person and they're out here and their life gets taken," said Austrailya Vick, family member Vick Jr. "It's devastating."
"He had goals. He's never been in trouble. He's not violent. He's not a gang member. Not anything like that," said Vick Jr.'s mother who did not want her name disclosed.
"He loved animals. Loved his mother. He was a protector," said father Delanio Vick Sr.
That love was why they said he was on ODU's campus the night of the shooting. The family tells WTKR News 3 Vick Jr. stopped in after he'd heard someone punched his mother on campus.
Watch previous coverage: Two dead after shooting on ODU's campus
"My son called me and told me the police were up there and hope that they would do their job and take the person away and they didn't," said Vick Sr. "They left the person there knowing it was a violent situation."
Later in the evening they said their son stepped outside.
"My son didn't have a gun," said Vick Jr.'s mother. "He didn't shoot anybody."
Vick Jr. and 20-year-old Timothy Williams Jr. both died at the hospital.
Watch related: Raw scene footage following ODU campus shooting
"He was just an innocent victim," his father said. "That's what he was, a kid. He was a kid."
The family tells WTKR News 3 another person was involved in the deadly shooting after witnessing what happened. We're working to confirm that information and the timeline of events.
We've asked police and ODU officials for clarification on suspects and safety after they said late Wednesday night there was no threat to the community. Friday they told us they are still investigating whether there is, in fact, a suspect.
We will continue to follow through on this story as we learn more information.
