NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Da'Traevieus Torian was just walking home from the nearby store after getting a snack Sunday night when someone came by and fired multiple gunshots on 34th Street, hitting and killing him, his family said.
At only 16 years old, friends and family said Da'Traevieus had his future all planned out.
"He was getting ready to leave, going to school, going to Job Corps," said B.J. Estes, founder of the FitzKingz organization. "He was getting good grades, trying to better himself. He was a good kid."
Newport News Police still haven't found the shooter.
People who knew Da'Traevieus tell 13News Now they couldn't imagine if anyone would ever target the teen, saying he stayed out of trouble and stayed focused on going to trade school.
Estes said the boy's stepfather would tell his son to spend time in Chesapeake during the days in the summer to avoid trouble in the neighborhood, so he did. He said Da'Traevieus had just gotten back home on Sunday for an hour by the time the shooting happened.
Estes and other non-profit organizers like Dee Clements with the "Break the Cycle" organization and the HEB Foundation partnered together to try to help people like Da'Traevieus. They created a summer program by gathering children in the Marshall neighborhood under a tent to do arts and crafts and other activities.
Estes and Clements said the neighborhood doesn't have many other resources. Clements said the recreation center is no longer open and the Boys and Girls Club is now closed.
"Parents need a lot of help out here. You know, they don't have the resources and they didn't want the kids to fall into the streets. It's a lot of violence," Estes said.
They said it was a way to get kids off the streets and keep them busy through the summer months.
Estes and Clements said in addition to Da'Traevieus going to Chesapeake over the summer, he also participated in the summer program. Leading up to Sunday, he had just finished his fifth week with the program.
"He would help put up the tent. He would help the kids color," Clements said. "He was hands-on the entire time. It's very shocking that we're here today."
Clements said Da'Traevieus gave her hope, as he expressed his desire to go to trade school, get a job at the shipyard, and work while he developed his own business. She felt her efforts were making a difference until a cruel twist took the young teen's life suddenly.
"We only came out here to fix a problem and it was going well. None of us expected to get that call. There was no violence, there was no fighting, no shootings... and then all of a sudden, here we are," Clements said. "This needs to stop."
Estes also expressed frustration, adding, "Much of what we fight still keeps happening, so now I'm like, do we need to redirect our focus to find the root cause of this?
Clements and Estes, along with Da'Traevieus' family and other neighborhood children, came out for a "community reset" on Tuesday night. They hugged family members and did activities with the children to honor the teen's life and try to give the neighborhood a fresh start while keeping in mind what happened.
Clements and Estes said while they mourn the loss of Da'Traevieus, they hope his death doesn't go unnoticed. They said they want the community to know what happened to a teenager they felt had a bright future.