The Atlanta community is grappling with the devastating loss of 18-year-old Raquavious Ferguson, who was fatally shot during an altercation near Morehouse College on Tuesday afternoon. Amidst the chaos and violence, pictures of Ferguson, who had aspirations of becoming an engineer, are all his family has left; his mother Lashala stated, "That was my baby and they took him from me and I don't know why," mourning a future cut brutally short, as described in a report by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Despite the chaos and the fact a 14-year-old was also injured, there have been no arrests following the incident, which occurred in front of an apartment complex near the intersection of Sells Avenue and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, the site of a large fight that spiraled into gunfire; the surveillance footage suggests that several individuals, including the 14-year-old victim, had been armed yet the bereaved family contends that Ferguson was merely an innocent bystander at the scene.
Ferguson's family remembers him as a bright young man with goals and a promising outlook, as his Aunt Sanchetta expressed in a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, "He wanted to go to trade school. He had dreams, it was just the beginning for him." A vigil is set to be held and a GoFundMe page has been established to assist with expenses, highlighting the community's desire to come together in the face of such tragic loss.
In the accounts shared with Atlanta News First, Keith Lewis, founder of I'm a Father F1rst and mentor to Ferguson for six years and also a friend to his son, recalled the warmth of the young man, saying "He always said, ‘Love unc,’ every time he left me, he’d just say, ‘Love unc,’ and I’d say, ‘Stay safe.’" Lewis remains determined to continue his mentoring work, despite not knowing much about the events at the gas station, reflecting on his conversations with Ferguson, he noted with a hint of resignation, "Sometimes I guess you can’t save everybody," presenting a stark reminder of the challenges faced by youth in certain communities.