Vigil held for Woodland Hills High School seniors killed in Braddock shooting
BRADDOCK, Pa. (KDKA) — The Braddock community continues to mourn days after a shooting killed two teenagers and injured another.
A vigil was held Thursday to celebrate their lives and call for an end to gun violence. Nazir Parker and Rimel Williamson, both 17 and seniors at Woodland Hills High School, were killed in the shooting on Sunday.
"I miss Naz. I'm going to forever miss him," said Unbray Glenn, Parker's friend.
Tears ran down his face thinking of his best friend, who he considered a brother.
"That was my brother," he said. "I was with him since I was 7 months. I remember everything we did together."
Allegheny County police said officers found Parker and Williamson dead after someone shot them in the area of Center and Margaretta streets.
"I want to thank everybody for being here," Hakeem Parker, Nazir Parker's father, told the crowd. "Y'all could have been anywhere else but ya'll here today. And we appreciate that as a family."
Sen. John Fetterman was one of the people at the vigil on Thursday night.
"It's just so sad," he said. "It could be fill in the blank of any community where this is happening. And this really drove home because this happened a couple blocks down the street from where I live."
People walked from Parker Avenue to the scene of the crime with balloons in hand, and once they arrived loved ones shared their thoughts.
"I thought I was protecting him, and they took him away from me," Glenn said.
Nazir Parker's grandmother, Wandalyn Middlebrook, encourages other teens to think about their actions.
"Stop the violence," she said. "Just start thinking about the things that you're doing. Think about the lives that you're impacted."
"This is something I don't want to see go unanswered," she added. "I absolutely want justice for both boys."
The teen injured in the shooting was last listed in critical but stable condition. At this time, there are no arrests.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Allegheny County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.