TROY, Alabama (WSFA) – La’Tavion Johnson was a young man who lived for his family and friends. At just 18 years old, he was already set to begin a career next week with the Alabama Department of Transportation.

That dream was cut short in the early hours of Sunday morning when Gunshots were heard at a party at Tuskegee University. in the midst of homecoming festivities.

When the shooting stopped, Johnson was dead and at least 16 other people were injured. A dozen of those injuries were from gunshots, authorities said.

It’s a call no parent wants to receive, but Tamika and Larry Johnson’s world was shattered when friends on campus called to tell them their son had been murdered.

Friends, family and the community gathered at their home in Troy on Monday to let them know they are not alone in this. It was here that the grieving parents spoke to the media about their son’s life, which revolved around the people he loved.

Those who knew La’Tavion Johnson described him as a “lively soul” and his mother jokingly described him as a “mama’s boy,” but he non-jokingly told the media, “That was my baby.”

“He was a loving person,” his father said. He began to exclaim: “The life I had…” but he could not complete the thought due to the pain.

The family was already mourning another child when this tragedy occurred. La’Tavion Johnson’s sister died recently, leaving a son. The teenager had been helping the family raise his nephew.

“So being here again, seeing them cry, it hurts me,” said their aunt, Shajuana Jackson.

As they grieve, the Johnsons plan to honor their son’s life and fight for justice and change. Larry Johnson said he plans to urge more people to lay down their weapons.

“If I could touch one person and stop gun violence. It really hurts, it hurts. You miss your son because someone wants to shoot him,” she said through tears.

La’Tavion Johnson’s parents weren’t the only ones who were emotional remembering their loved one. He also had a girlfriend, Jalyn Youngblood. The couple was planning a future together, even discussing how many children they would have.

“I feel like I had already planned my whole life with someone and now they are gone. “I just don’t know what to do anymore,” Youngblood said.

“Everyone loved him and it’s very heartbreaking that he had to die that way,” she said.

Some of his cousins ​​and friends who were with him at the block party told how he danced and had a good time before the chaos began.

Her friend Janyla Avery, who was one of those injured but survived, said: “All we wanted to do was have fun. And one thing about us is that we never part. “We all get together, we’re all leaving together and I really don’t understand it.”

One person has been arrested for the crime, but has not been charged with the shooting itself. Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery, is federally charged with possession of a machine gun.

It’s unclear what will come next in terms of charges as the investigation continues.

The mass shooting caused Immediate changes to campus safety protocols. During a press conference Monday, Tuskegee University President Mark Brown said that, effective immediately, IDs will be required for everyone visiting campus. Additionally, the head of campus security has been fired and replaced, and the entire security team will be reviewed.

Brown noted that the event where the shooting occurred was not sanctioned by Tuskegee University.

Officials did not reveal a motive for the shooting or answer questions at the news conference.

Funeral arrangements for Johnson have not yet been announced.

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