JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Family and friends gathered in Northwest Jacksonville Friday night for a vigil to remember 16-year-old Trevius Williams.
Connie Coles said it's painful driving by the convenience store not far from her home. Friday night, she said it was necessary to be there.
"We just wanted to come back and show him that we love him and his life was not taken in vain, and we are not going to let his memory die," Coles said.
Williams was hit and killed by a car after leaving the Day N' Nite Food Store on Lem Turner Road on Sunday.
Keenan Slaughter, 19, the driver police said hit Williams, stayed at the scene until police arrived, and hasn't been charged.
The case gained national attention after Slaughter tweeted a picture of Williams' body moments after hitting him.
"How dare he do that? And then he's not even charged," Coles said.
Action News Jax also uncovered more tweets from the driver.
One tweet, posted a few hours before the crash, even mentions lyrics to a song about drinking cough syrup and soda.
Action News Jax asked the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office about the tweets, but a representative told us the driver was not impaired at the scene and there was no reason to administer a sobriety test.
Coles said Slaughter hasn't had any contact with the family.
"He hasn't reached out to me, nor has his parents reached out," Coles said.
Williams' mother honored her son with prayer Friday and placed a wreath near the scene of the accident in honor of her son.
She said it's tough to move on.
"Last night was the first night back home, and all I could really do was just look at his clothes and smell them, cause they got his scent to them. I was going to give them away but just not ready for that yet," Coles said.
She said she hopes the vigil will help with the healing process.
WJAX
