Neighbors filtered through the grass of McKee Park, joining hands once reaching the large crowd.
They circled a mother standing beside a reverend, who called upon people to come forward if they have ever lost a loved one.
The circle around the mother grew tighter, more compact.
“Enough is enough,” Rev. James Gray said.
And the crowd seemed to agree, showing their approval with a few “amens.”
Gray turned his attention to the crowd, speaking directly to the young boys and girls who stood beside each other wearing T-shirts to honor their late friend, Tre’Veon Marshall.
“Some of you want to be gangbangers … listen to me, you ain’t supposed to go before your mother,” Gray said.
The lesson refers to the recent homicide. The one that killed Tre’Veon Marshall, 17, in the very place Tuesday’s candlelight was held.
Columbia police officers were dispatched to the park Sunday near midnight. Upon arriving they found a male victim, later identified as Marshall, with gunshot wounds.
The Columbia Police Department has not issued a statement detailing where the victim was shot and how many bullets were fired, though its news release suggests he was shot more than once and Marshall’s mother referenced shots being fired at his back.
Marshall was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:31 a.m.
Investigators have asked the community to come forward with any information that could lead them to who is responsible. In addition, the CPD has an interactive partnership with the Columbia Public School system. It allows for a constant exchange of information.
Law enforcement officials have spoken to the school system during the current investigation. Marshall attended Hickman High School, but he hasn’t been a student there since January.
Michelle Baumstark, the school system’s community relations coordinator, was not aware of the conditions of his release, but said schools do regular follow-ups with students who leave.
Still, it is challenging because so much of what happens is not on school grounds, Baumstark said.
“They are only with us for seven hours a day, and then they have the rest of the day, the week or month out in the community,” she said.
Despite its efforts, CPD has not named a suspect and no arrests have been made.
There has been a community effort to raise money to bury Marshall. Reverend Gray started the donations, offering $500 himself. The neighbors then let go of each others’ hands, reaching into their wallets as a cardboard box made its way around.
It will cost roughly $6,000, Gray said.
The neighbors of McKee Street circled back up as the sky grew dim. Marshall’s mother walked down the path, illuminated by the flames of white candlesticks burning for her son.
“Lord, let there be a ceasefire in Columbia,” Gray prayed.