PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Loved ones are mourning the loss of a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed in Portsmouth.
Early on Sunday morning, police say they received a report about shots fired on North Street in Old Towne. When officers arrived, they said they found a boy who had been shot. They rushed him to the hospital but he did not survive.
The boy has since been identified as Shanarde Wilson, a freshman at I.C. Norcom High School.
Portsmouth
Mother confirms 15-year-old son killed in overnight shooting in Portsmouth
Police have not confirmed what led up to the shooting, but family members told News 3's Kelsey Jones that the 15-year-old was shot in the back at a party when he was walking away from an argument.
Mary Simms, a family friend, describes Wilson as her "bonus son." She says she cherishes memories of him shooting hoops every day after school with her sons.
"He really was a good kid," Simms said.
Wilson leaves behind his parents and two younger siblings: a brother and a sister. Simms said his family is devastated that his life was tragically cut short.
"I talked to his mom yesterday and she was just saying like, that was her backbone," said Simms. "His parents said he was the type of child that was so happy-go-lucky."
Simms expressed her frustration over the shooting, stating that it's not fair that he died at such a young age with a bright future ahead of him.
"He didn't deserve this," she said.
Wilson's mother is going through a lot and is busy making funeral arrangements for her oldest son, but she wanted to share the following message, through Simms, for other parents:
"Do some active listening with your children. Listen, get involved. Get involved with your children's friends. Talk to them. Discuss guns. Ask them if their friends have guns, like who has guns? Get involved, it's so very important."
Police are still investigating the shooting and are asking anyone with information to call Portsmouth police.
