JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — More than 100 people gathered at Behrman Park in Algiers, standing as one, to remember 19-year-old Courtney Hughes who was shot and killed earlier this week.
The 19-year-old nursing student was at a party at a short term rental in the Lower Ninth Ward when gunfire erupted on Monday morning.
Hughes and Khyron Peters were shot and killed, another four were injured.
George H. Angeletti 4th, knew Courtney, “Me seeing Courtney was like me seeing my daughter every day," he said.
“Is that big beautiful smile with those beautiful braces she had and her walking across that college campus, I seen great things for Courtney," Angeletti said.
Thursday, her community cried together for the young woman taken too soon.
“Courtney is all of our kid, it could’ve been my child,” said Angeletti.
Crime advocates like Michael Willis said they're calling for leaders to stop the bloodshed, "We have to show our leaders how to become a community, we have to show our city officials, all those people pointing fingers, blaming everybody, its not about what everybody ain’t doing, what are we going to do.”
Dr. Ashonta Wyatt, an educator, says parents need to be role models, not just for their kids, but all children, she said, “What has to happen is that more of us have to do more and what it looks like is being honest. There is no one coming into this community destroying it, we’re destroying this community from the inside out.”
“That’s what more looks like, taking care of ourselves for ourselves there’s no phantom superman coming to save us. This is our job, this is our wrong and its our job to make it right,” Wyatt said.
Hundreds of pink balloons filling the night sky for a new angel in heaven, Courtney Hughes.
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