Reginald Meadows, man killed in Willowbrook mass shooting, left behind a loving family
WILLOWBROOK, Ill. (CBS) -- Reginald Meadows was a family man – a devoted fiancé and a loving dad to a son and daughter.
Now, those two kids are without a father – after the 31-year-old man was shot and killed when gunfire erupted during a Juneteenth celebration in a parking lot in Willowbrook this past weekend.
CBS 2's Jermont Terry spoke Tuesday with the Meadows family, as they tried to come to terms with Meadows' senseless death.
A bond between two brothers is forever.
"That's my baby boy," Darren Meadows said as he looked at a picture of himself with his brother, Reginald. "My baby boy."
And Darren Meadows is struggling mightily with the loss of his baby brother.
"He was very loved by a lot of people," said Darren Meadows. "A lot of people."
Reginald Meadows was one of hundreds attending a promoted event in a parking lot at Route 83 and Honeysuckle Rose Lane in unincorporated Willowbrook Township.
Dozens of shots went off, and people ran for cover. Twenty-two people were shot. Reginald Meadows was the only one who was killed.
"I just can't imagine the fear that night," said Darren Meadows.
Reginald's fiancée, along with their 13-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son are now left with a huge void.
"It's really a nightmare for them. I just can't imagine what they're going through right now," said Darren Meadows. "All I could do was just tell him that everything is going to be all right, and he's still with them."
The children's father lives in their heart. But right now, their hearts are shattered.
"Everything about that man was pure," said Darren Meadows.
The Meadows family is upset with how the loving father left them by senseless gun violence.
"It's getting way too much for young people to go out here and cause chaos," said Darren Meadows. "It's unfortunate, and unfair to my brother's kids."
The DuPage County Sheriff's office spent three days processing the crime scene. But as of late Tuesday, they had not found who opened fire first in the mass shooting early Sunday morning – nor released information about how many different guns fired back.
But we know six other family members were in the crowd when Reginald Meadows was shot.
"All they could do is just cry," said Darren Meadows. "They're minds are everywhere right now."
Right now, Darren Meadows' mind is on the last conversation he had with his brother – a call hours before the mass shooting.
"We've always told each other that we loved each other after phone calls or face-to-face. But that day, we were joking; we're playing around, and told each other, 'Bye!' and we never told each other we loved each other," said Darren Meadows, "The biggest regret of my life."
Darren Meadows said his family was preparing to have a 10-year memorial for their mother the day after the shooting. Now instead of honoring her, the family is forced to bury his brother.
