ST. LOUIS — "It's just so hard and I am not holding up. It hurts so bad," said Kemyata Whitlock.
Tears streamed down the face of a heartbroken Whitlock when she shared her pain with 5 On Your Side.
The grieving mom held tightly on to two roses and a funeral program in memory of her 15-year-old son, Ezell "E.J." Johnson III.
She buried her child on Saturday.
"He was my baby and it just hurts so bad. He didn't deserve what happened to him, didn't deserve to be gone so fast,"
On Oct. 22, gunshots rang out outside the family's home on East Ashland in north St. Louis.
Police arrived and found Ezell suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The Soldan High School ninth-grader died at a hospital.
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"Y'all didn't have to take my baby. He loved and he loved very well," said the boy's mom.
On Friday, Johnson's family learned police arrested 19-year-old Tevin Collins.
Prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the teen's death.
Ezell's mom says the arrest is especially hard to accept because she says her son and Collins were neighborhood friends.
"I believe in God and I know he's gonna pay for his actions. I would like for him to do that because he did that to my baby like nothing when they could have resolved this problem by talking to each other," Whitlock said.
"He knew what he did was wrong," said 17-year-old Madison Manuel.
Manuel and Ezell were also friends.
Madison told police the day after Johnson was killed, Tevin Collins shot twice at her on the same street.
RELATED: Teenage girl shot multiple times in St. Louis on same block 15-year-old was shot the day before
"One bullet went through my left arm and the other went through my left thigh. I was scared, but I was calm at the same time because I knew that I was gonna make it out. I knew this wasn't the end. God was with me," said the young girl.
Police haven't said anything about a motive for the shootings of the two teens. Johnson's family believes an argument between Ezell and the suspect broke out before the gunfire.
"It was nonsense that you took my baby's life," said Kemyata Whitlock.
Now, the grieving mom has one plea.
"Gun violence is not the way. To all you young gang-bangers who want to do all this shooting, please stop! Put the guns down!," said Ezell's mom.
"I'm just glad that they arrested him sooner than later because it's still a lot of murders out there that are unsolved," said Ken Johnson, Ezell's older brother.
Tevin Collins is being held without bond.
Overall, at least 111 children have been shot in the city of St. Louis, so far this year.
