PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A family is mourning after the sad death of a 12-year-old Portsmouth boy.
The family of Kemon Battle buried the 12-year-old Wednesday morning. His cousin De’Andre Barnes is calling for change in the community after Battle’s death.
Barnes runs a non-profit called Portsmouth City Sports Club, which offers sports year-round to keep kids off the street. Barnes trained Battle in basketball to get him prepared for tryouts.
"You know people just want justice. And people hurt, a 12-year-old getting killed the way he did," said Barne. "I mean he was a great kid, if you talk to the teachers, they love him. And anybody who communicated with him, or he was in the place, you knew who he was. He was a protector, he protected the people around him."
Police say someone shot Battle on Lexington Drive on December 21st. Police are still looking for the shooter. Now Barnes is working to make sure something like this never happens again.
"Our goal is to make sure we don't let him die in vain. So, because of that, we have to get these kids early on,” said Barnes. Barnes wants the community to come together after Battle’s death and work for change.
The community, the city and the churches have to come together.
"We have to make sure something like this doesn't happen to any kid ever again,” said Barnes.