MACON, Ga. — What started as a Fourth of July celebration ended in tragedy for one Macon family . That night, gunfire hit their home — and a bullet struck 24-year-old Contrel Dixon as he sat on the couch.

After spending more than three months in the hospital, Dixon died Oct. 23. His mother, Demetria Dixon, said Contrel spent less than 12 hours in hospice care before dying.

She wants people to remember her son not as a victim — but as a son, a twin and a father.

“We used to him coming in and being funny and trying to make everybody laugh afterward,” Demetria said. “His smile, his generosity, his dancing — he was just an all-around fun person.”

She said the family’s grief has been compounded by frustration.

“It’s senseless," Demetria said. "My son had to lose his life because a hoth

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