TOLEDO, Ohio — Family and friends said their finals goodbye to a young man, shot and killed at just 17-years-old.
Hundreds of people came together to celebrate the life of Nareon Grier on Sunday.
The community memorial looked different during the pandemic, with people walking through Start High School, where Grier played basketball.
Everyone from family and friends to classmates and teammates, kids from other schools and parents showed up to pay their respects.
"I can't believe it...Still doesn't feel real," said Nareon's cousin Charles Garrett. "It still ain't hit me yet. I thought it was a joke."
People are still trying to process the Start basketball standout's death.
"He was the life of the party. He was," added Garrett. "He was the type of person, he'd come in and brighten the whole room up."
Nareon's talent on the basketball court spoke for itself. His former coach calls him one of a kind.
"Probably the smallest guy on the court, absolutely controls the basketball game," said Lealand Rayford, who coached for and against Grier. "Absolutely controls the basketball game; the tempo, the pace, who gets shots, the game was not going without him."
His friends said he was dominant on the court and his talent was going to take him far.
"We knew for sure Nareon was going to be the one that had the ticket," said Garrett. "We knew he was going to have the million dollars one day. He was going to be professional."
His family and friends all say they never imagined Nareon getting caught up in the violence on the streets. They're hoping this serves as a warning against the violence.
"Get into something that will get you away from these streets," said Rayford, "because it ain't nothing but two things, either jail or death."
Everyone with their own memories of Nareon, offered their last words to their friend.
"Just tell him to watch over me. I love you," one friend said.
"Everybody love you bro. Whereever you at, keep that ball in your hand and we'll be seeing you later," Rayford added.
A final memorial service for Nareon will take place on Monday at 10 a.m. at Jerusalem Baptist Church before he's laid to rest.
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