EXCLUSIVE: Family of teen slain by gun fire in Youngstown speaks out

Marquis Whitted

Two teen victims were shot and killed on I-680 in Youngstown, Wednesday, shattering entire families.

Kylea Day, a bright 19 year old with plans for the future and Marquis Whitted, taken just eleven days after his 19th birthday. Both teens were only three weeks shy of moving to Columbus. The family of Marquis Whitted sat down exclusively with 21 News.

"They was gone move up there and he was going back to school with her..and now we here," said Sarenda Whitted, Marquis' aunt.

Sarenda recalls the kind of person her nephew was, telling 21 News he was no trouble maker.

"He was a lovable kid...I'll always remember my nephew," Sarenda said. "That smile, always smiling," she said.

This isn't the first tragedy this family has faced due to gun violence. You may recall the murder of 10 year old Persayus Davis-May who was shot in a drive by, while in bed. She's also one of Sarenda's nieces.

A close friend of the Whitted family, even helping to plan the funeral, lost her daughter and grandson, 19 year old Valarcia Blair and 3 month old Tariq Morris in the same manner as the Whitted family, in a car that was riddled with bullets.

"He was ambushed. My babies were ambushed too," said Elizabeth Green, mother of Valarcia Blair. "I just wanna know when it's all going to end. it's just like a cycle," she said.

Both families tell 21 News the cycle needs to be broken by the parents. Just 9 months ago, Whitted's older brother, Rawsheem Aponte, was also shot and killed.

"Parents need to be involved more and these kids at a certain age should have to go to counseling," said Sarenda. "All their fathers are probably in prison or dead," she said.

That's currently the case with Marquis Whitted Sr., who's incarcerated.

"Just trying not to blame myself. I try so hard to get my stuff together," Whitted Sr. said. "It's not fathers that's out there to show these young kids how to grow up. I know it's gone take a lot of work to be able to get that under control," he said. "Him being so young, I'm still trying to deal with that. If they don't have any guidance, they should get counseling or something that could help. I don't want to see another life get taken."

"I love all them kids. All of them and they are apart of me," Sarenda said.

Two men have already been sent to prison in the death of Valarcia Blair and Tariq Morris, but no suspects have been caught in deaths of Persayus Davis-May or Whitted and Day. Whitted's father tells 21 News, he wants his son's death to be a message to people to stop the violence because he says, this could happen to anyone.

If anyone has any information on the shootings, call Crime Stoppers at 330-746- CLUE or the Youngstown Police Department.