CECILIA, La. (KLFY) —It has been a hard week for the family of Markalon Batiste, the teen shot and killed Oct. 3 in Cecilia.

Audrey Batiste, the victim’s mother, said she was driving home when she got the news from her son’s father.  

“I just heard in his voice that something was wrong, and my heart dropped,” she said. “When he told us the news, my daughter and I, we immediately started crying. We were devastated and we wanted answers. We didn’t know what was going on; it was just a horrible night.” 

Batiste said the most difficult part for her now is not hearing her son’s voice anymore.

“We are used to him communicating with us often,” she said. “Getting his calls and checking up on us. Just knowing that he’s out there and hearing his voice, I mean, not being able to hear his voice, it’s just like you don’t feel it’s real. You just think he’s out with some friends, and then you don’t hear from him, and then the realization comes in you know you will never hear from him again.”

The 19-year-old was known to be loving and funny. He loved sports and played football throughout his school years. One of his goals was to raise his one-year-old daughter. 

“He just wanted to give his daughter the world, and he didn’t get that opportunity.”  

Batiste says the teen charged in her son’s death lived in the same neighborhood as her son.

“I felt like my son didn’t do anything to instigate it I felt like it was premeditated in my eyes,” she said. “It was in cold blood. I felt like it was not justifiable. I mean, no killing is, but in this situation, it was for absolutely nothing. “We are going to fight this for him. We are going to be his voice and we are going to do everything we can in our power to make sure justice is served in this situation.” 

Bishop Larry Lloyd, the founder of Spirit of Liberty Christian Fellowship, said they are standing in support of the family. 

“We know that it is systemic in our society that there is violence and too much access to guns, and that becomes a concern for us,” Lloyd said. “However, at this moment, our plan is to be here for the family, Miss Audrey, and her children; the beautiful baby that he left is going to need the support of this family. We understand that every child needs a village, and our church Spirit of Liberty would like to be that village for the family.” 

Lloyd challenges his fellow believers to stand up against gun violence. 

“It’s important that the Christian community comes together to address the problem of gun violence in our community,” he said. “In the last decade, we have seen so much gun violence, and in the last three or four years, we’ve seen a spike in that violence in our community in the Lafayette area and the St. Martinville, New Iberia area, and so that’s a real concern.”

The family thanks those in the community that has been supporting the family thus far. 

You can help the family through donations to their GoFundMe.

A funeral will be held Oct. 14, at 11 a.m.