Tariq Akbar, 14-year-old shooting victim, remembered at vigil

\"I don't wish this type of pain on nobody,\" said Katraile Scott, the father of 14-year-old Tariq Akbar said at his son’s vigil.

Scott didn't try to make sense of his son's violent death, instead pleading with young men to listen.

\"If it's one or 100 people telling you not to do certain things, it's best to just listen.\"

The alleged gunman, a 15-year-old child himself, sought revenge in a Facebook fight. Akbar's family says he was an innocent bystander. The circumstances shocked even Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett as he showed up to console the family.

\"There's something here societally we have to deal with where young people particularly are solving their gripes, whatever they are, how crazy they are, with violence,\" Barrett said.

Tariq's death is shining a light on a particularly violent year in Milwaukee. There have been 82 homicides, double this time last year. The victims have been overwhelmingly young black men

For a moment, Tariq's best friend Michael Williams smiled at the vigil, showing off a funny dance Tariq made up. He was with the teen minutes before he was killed, time that he wishes Tariq's killer would have thought through before he pulled out a gun.

\"Just think about your life, cause once you do something you can't take that back,\" Williams said.

Funeral services will be held for Tariq at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church on Saturday at 10 am.

               

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