ST PAUL, Minn. — Pictures of 18-year-old Lavonte Love line the entrances inside the Summit Church in St. Paul, where dozens of loved ones are gathered inside for his homegoing service.
"Lavonte was a cousin of mine and in our family, our cousins are like our brothers or sisters, and it felt like I lost my little brother," said Chuck Love.
One-by-one, family members share memories. Chuck Love remembers the store where they once visited daily. A place steps away from the intersection where Lavonte lost his life.
"The corner store on Johnson and 7th, we did that as kids and it's the same street where he got killed," said Chuck.
Love was found suffering from multiple gunshots wound last week in the Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
"His mom is holding up OK," said Chuck. "Circumstances like this are difficult, no mother wants to lose a kid at any point in their life."
While family and friends say their last goodbyes to a life cut short, they're moving forward while remembering a brother, son, cousin and friend.
"Today, we lived and breathed his legacy by celebrating his life, and we feel at peace about it," said Chuck.