Mystery Surrounds The Shooting Death Of D'Angelo Bratton-Bland, A College Student From Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mystery surrounds the shooting death of a college student from Chicago.

D'Angelo Bratton-Bland died Wednesday. Those who loved him say they still don't know if it was an accident or intentional.

D'Angelo Bratton-Bland graduated from Perspectives Academy in Bronzeville and hoped to come back and teach there after graduating from college in May.

Instead two of his sisters are in Jefferson City, Missouri, trying to learn more about how and why he was killed.

"It hurts me that D'Angelo was killed, but it hurts me even more not to have any answers," said Bratton-Bland's former principal and second mother, Tiffany L Harston.

"Why? Why? Why?" she asked.

The 23-year-old student body president at Lincoln University died after being shot in the chest Tuesday.

According to reports, D'Angelo was with friends when they stepped out of the car, heard gunshots, and jumped back into the car.

That's when D'Angelo realized he had been hit.

Harston says he was out with friends his sisters didn't know

"Was it a hate crime? Was it just him at the wrong place at the wrong time? We just want some justice," Harston said. "We want some answers. We want some closure because we want to know what happened to D'Angelo."

D'Angelo and his infectious smile brought joy to those around him transitioning from a difficult childhood to successful college senior.

Harston say D'Angelo was openly gay and made it his mission to speak out for justice, often coming back to Chicago on break to help students at his alma mater.

"He was so touched by the way we never gave up on him that he wanted to become an advocator," Harston said.

She says D'Angelo's sisters also went down to view and identify their brother's body, but officials told them they couldn't see his body, and he could be identified simply by using his driver's license.

His body is expected to be brought back to Chicago next week.