The morning of his death, 16-year-old Armani Thomas-Cotton of Milwaukee promised his little sister he would take her to the Wisconsin State Fair with money he made selling candy.
He told his mom he loved her on the phone. He planned to start a job training program next week. Armani was a regular teenage boy, learning how to navigate the world.
“He was my best friend, my only son … my baby,” said his mother, Gwendolyn Cotton. “We grew up together.”
Cotton, 38, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she will forever cherish the last time she heard her son’s voice on the phone that morning of Aug. 13, telling her how excited he was to take his sister to the fair. Hours later, Armani was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Milwaukee.
Cotton and several other family members gathered on Aug. 14 at North 41st and Clarke streets to release balloons in honor of Armani. Candy was sold to attendees in Armani’s memory.
Milwaukee police say Armani died on the scene and details of why remain unclear. Police are investigating the shooting and have not yet arrested anyone, according to a news release.
Family members described Armani as an intelligent and respectful kid who loved to help people, especially those older than him. Ebony Fitchpatrick, 42, said her nephew was “introverted, but very outspoken,” and she recalled a trip to Wisconsin Dells with him.
People knew him as the “candy boy” in the neighborhood because he sold candy to earn money, according to a GoFundMe to raise money for his burial and family. Armani enjoyed playing games, joking and simply being around the people who cared about him, the GoFundMe said.
Cotton said her son liked basketball, his favorite players were LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Armani attended Washington High School of Information Technology, just down the street from where he lived with his father, Anthony Thomas.
In a statement, the family urged the public not to turn Armani “into a stereotype.”
“We want the truth. We want answers. We want whoever is responsible to be held accountable through the proper legal process,” the family said.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or P3 Tips App.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Family gather to remember teen killed in Milwaukee drive-by shooting
Reporting by Shane Colpoys, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Shane Colpoys, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
