PEORIA, Ill. – Friends and family of Peoria’s 23rd homicide victim say they believe the shots fired that claimed his life, weren’t intended for him.
Merian Smith, 15, was declared brain dead Wednesday morning, according to the Peoria County Coroner.
Family members say he was riding a scooter when shots rang out Monday afternoon near Quest middle school.
“When she told me what she told me, I just dropped the phone and I started screaming,” said Smith’s mother, Anita Brewer, to 25 News. “We know that this was not meant for him. He wasn’t in gangs. He didn’t do drugs.”
Smith’s mother, Anita Brewer, tells 25 News her son — a sophomore at Peoria High School and football player — took advantage of resources around him to better himself, like ELITE Community Outreach and Product of the Project.
“With him having his family and the village around him, his father, he had us, he had ELITE…I just think that he had a lot of fellowship and good characteristics around to make him become who he could,” said Antwan Banks, another of Smith’s mentors and founder of Product of the Project, to 25 News.
Another person also hit by gunfire Monday afternoon survived.
Other family members say Merian Smith simply loved everyone.
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