CHARLOTTE, N.C. – “He was a good kid. He wasn’t no bad kid. He wasn’t out here like that,” says Latasha Stokes about her son, Tyshaun. He was not a kid who ran the streets, his mom says. He was a helper, who looked after his younger siblings. Latasha says, “I had my baby six months ago. He helps me with my baby while I go to work.”

Early Sunday morning, the 16-year-old tried to help his aunt when bullets started flying outside their northeast Charlotte home. Latoya Stokes says, “He was trying to protect me from getting shot.” He did protect her, but Tyshaun was hit. Latoya says, “He ended up crawling to the door, and I drug him in the house, close(d) the door. We called 911.”

Paramedics couldn’t save him. Tyshaun died at the hospital.

He was loving. Helpful. Funny. Not the type of kid l

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