Chicago man describes scene after his family was shot to death
CHICAGO (CBS) — A Chicago man lost his mother, brother, and cousin were all shot and killed inside their own home on the Fourth of July while two others were shot and survived.
A family member who was just steps away and heard it all unravel.
Frank Mixon said he doesn't want his family's death to be another number, another statistic, but he wants people to know he lost a mother, a little brother, and a cousin.
"Throughout all of this, I really, really, really cannot get those images out of my head."
Images Frank Mixon will never be able to erase: his family shot and killed inside their own home.
"Everything was just cold. As vividly as I could remember. More than cold than anything. Being able to walk upstairs and hear a bunch of screaming and shouting, and then the blood was everywhere."
Mixon was home from college visiting his family when someone massacred his family. They killed his mother, 45-year-old Nakeeshia Strong, his cousin, 24-year-old Capri Edwards, and his seven-year-old brother, Bryson Orr.
"It just sounded like someone threw a stick of fireworks inside of my house. When I went upstairs, all I heard was Bryson is shot, Bryson is shot. I wasn't thinking about no one else but my baby brother," Mixon said.
He said he was protective of his brother.
"Bryson was so respectful because of me. I taught. I don't want to say I raised him; that's a step, but everything Bryson knew about mature respect came from me, and whatever came from me came from my mother," Mixon said.
Mixon is a product of CHAMPS Male Mentoring, a program for young men at Gary Comer College Prep. He said his mother wanted him in the program.
"My mom was just pushing to make sure that I went there because she knew what was going on in the streets. Like, my mom comes from Cabrini-Green," Mixon said.
"This particular situation hits home because his mother did make sure he came to CHAMPS even probably when he didn't want to," said Vondale Singleton, CHAMPS Male Mentoring Founder.
Mixon said he's taking this hurt and using it to finish school.
"My mother was and is everything to me. She wouldn't want me to stop doing what I'm doing," Mixon said.
Mixon said he doesn't know what prompted the shooting, but police said it stemmed from a previous altercation but wouldn't give any details.