"Boonchie never had no enemies. So he was a person that made friends easily," said his grandmother Consuela Perry. "Boonchie" is a nickname he earned and the moniker has stuck with him.
[Ads /]
"That's his football name. That's what they know him by. No. 15. That's who he is. Boonch," his family added.
Lawton, a junior at Millbrook High School, was out with two of his friends Monday evening when Raleigh Police say someone shot the three teens.
An official with RPD said, "the incident did not involve a vehicle."
"We're just praying for the other two boys. And just ask God to give them strength to endure whatever they need to do and how to overcome," said Edith Fisher, Lawton's cousin who traveled from Newport News, Virginia, after learning the young man had been killed.
Police have so far released few details on the shooting. The department said the disclosure of further information may identify a juvenile and is prohibited by North Carolina law.
[Ads /]
"We went down to the funeral parlor. We seen him. He looks really good," said Fisher. "Just look like he's sleeping, resting."
Lawton's aunt, Latonia Killebrew, said she will remember her nephew's smile the most.
"He had a shyness to him," she said. "But he always had a smile that stood out. He was confident. He was a star within itself. He left a lot to remember him by. So he's always going to stay near and dear to my heart. And I'm going to miss him. He was loved. He was just really loved."
Raleigh Police are still investigating and ask if you have any information call Crimestoppers.
"And put the guns away," added Fisher. "I don't even know how to better say it. They don't do you no good and no one else. We're killing our children and we're killing ourselves. They need to put it away."