‘His heart was too pure’: Dozens gather to honor boy, 13, killed in shooting
A crowd of people gathered around a candle arrangement in Desert Horizons Park in North Las Vegas Friday night in honor of Keon Young, a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed last Saturday.
After Young’s mother and uncle spoke about him and led a prayer, the group released dozens of balloons into the night sky as many said “Long live Keon,” in his memory.
Young died at University Medical Center after he was shot Saturday around 8 p.m. in the 3200 block of Fountain Falls Way, near West Cheyenne Avenue and North Simmons Street.
“He didn’t deserve to go out like this, his heart was too pure,” Keonta Cook, Young’s mother, said about her son.
Keonta Cook described Young as very energetic and very sweet. She said her son’s dreams ranged from playing in the NBA and buying her a house to becoming a police officer. Young was very close with all of his siblings, especially his younger brother, whom he called his “baby brother,” according to Keonta Cook.
Esther Junior, Young’s great aunt, said Young was shy, but starting to come out of his shell, and he had just made his school’s basketball team and was excited to play for them. She said the teen had “an infectious smile and a heart of gold.”
Young’s family, friends, classmates and staff from his school were all among the crowd of dozens that assembled Friday night in his honor. Keonta Cook said the turnout showed that her son “was loved by a lot of people.”
Some in the crowd called for gun control in response to Young’s death, and Robert Cook, Young’s uncle, said he hoped that Young’s death causes the people responsible to confess that they did wrong or at least change their life.
Cook also highlighted how many different people came to honor Young Friday night.
“You see kids, teenagers, you see friends, school teachers, mothers, grandmothers, of all sorts of colors, you see all colors out here,” Robert Cook said about the crowd at the vigil. “And that’s what feels good, and I hope it just testifies to the world what kind of young man Keon was.”
Since her son’s death, Keonta Cook said she has felt “numb” as of Friday night. The last time she said she ate was with Young before he died.
“I always prepared for my kids to bury me,” Keonta Cook said. “But I never prepared to bury any of my kids.”
Contact Mark Credico at mcredico@reviewjournal.com.
