TAYLOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed Saturday night after a gathering of teenagers in a Taylor parking lot turned violent.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report:
Trey Kimber, who was preparing to begin classes at Ecorse High School this fall, collapsed and died on Pine Street after being shot during an altercation that began at the Southland Center Saturday evening, family says.
"I can't sleep, I can't eat. I barely can hold my train of thought, it's the worst, it's a mother's nightmare," said Alexis Kimber, Trey's mother. "He was our life."
Extended interview: 'He was our life.' Mom talks about son's shooting death
Taylor Police Chief John Blair said the incident began as a dispute near Southland Mall before escalating.
"It looks like there was a little bit of a dispute that originated near the area of our Southland Mall, spilled over into the parking lot near Meijer's and then on to a residential street, Pine Street," Chief Blair said.
Trey, who was shot during the confrontation, collapsed on Pine Street near the Meijer parking lot near Telegraph and Eureka.
Dr. Josha Talison, Superintendent of Ecorse Public Schools, had just seen Trey at football practice days before the shooting. The teen was considered a promising athlete with a bright future.
"It's disturbing, because it's just like why? There could have been another resolution for whatever was going on," Talison said.
Alexis Kimber is left with many unanswered questions about what her son was doing there and who killed him.
"He told me he was going to the movie theater and that was it," Kimber said, recalling their last conversation around 6 p.m.. By 11 p.m., she learned her only son had died.
"They brought me down here, and my son was laid out on the ground," Kimber said. "I had to see that, and not only did I have to see it, but his sister saw it too."
A small memorial now marks the spot where Trey's body was found. Instead of celebrating his 15th birthday on August 2, Alexis is planning a funeral and seeking justice.
"Justice is everything," she said.
Police are asking for the community's help to find three persons of interest connected to the shooting. Suspect photos are expected to be released at a later date.
"We don't want any more bloodshed, these are kids we're dealing with, they tend to make some bad decisions, let's nip this in the bud and be done with this," Blair said.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Taylor Police Department.
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