NORFOLK, Va. — Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Ali and Bilal Muhammad's names.
A father, who dedicated his life to combating violence, is grieving after a shooting took his son's life earlier this week.
Ali Muhammad, 33, was shot and killed in the Ocean View section of Norfolk Thursday night.
Ali’s father is prominent community activist Bilal Muhammad, who’s worked for years to fight against the thing that took his youngest son’s life.
Bilal told 13News Now that he was on the phone with his son at the time of the shooting. He said they would talk on the phone everyday, as he was very close with his youngest son.
Bilal said that night, Ali was getting into his car to go to work at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital when someone pulled up, blocked him in and then approached him.
Over the phone, Bilal said he heard someone confront Ali and then he heard his son shout at the person to "put down the gun." Then he heard gunshots.
"I was on the phone with him. 'Dad, someone's blocking me in!' He's trying to leave to go to work!" Bilal said, remembering that last phone call with his son.
Saturday evening, dozens gathered to honor Ali’s life at Berkley Park in Norfolk.
Lawmakers, community activists, friends and family all took the mic to rally for peace. And now, Bilal's anti-violence message is stronger than ever.
"You got a gun? You want to do crime? Get out the...community! We don't want you in here! If you're out here, you want to sell drugs, you want to rob somebody, get the heck out of this community right now!" Bilal said.
The mother of Ali's three daughters, Kelly Shaw, stood close to the front of the vigil. She said she's trying to stay strong for her girls.
“Sometimes I just don’t know where to go now because we was a team, we did it together, and now it’s like, I don’t know," Shaw sobbed.
Embrace after embrace, people wrapped their arms around the Muhammad family, sending them love and support.
And at the end of the vigil, people released 33 balloons to represent Ali’s 33 years of life.
"He was a great father. He was always there for my girls," Shaw said.
The family says they won’t stop until Ali’s killer is found.
“If I got to be out there to find him myself, I’m gonna be there because he didn’t deserve it," Shaw said.
Police are investigating this as a homicide and ask anyone with information about it to contact the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-562-5887 or submit a tip online at P3Tips.com.