Dozens gather for vigil for 18-year-old killed in northeast Indy over the weekend

INDIANAPOLIS – Family and friends of a man shot and killed early Sunday morning are gathering to remember his life.

Just hours before sunset Monday evening, candles glowed and two golden balloons waved at the exact spot where 18-year-old Isaak Williams was found shot to death in an apartment complex near 39th Street in Indianapolis.

As dozens of people gathered for the vigil, prayers and powerful messages of condolence rang out.

“Isaak was just a funny, loving, crazy boy,” said Isaac’s aunt, Teresa Brown.

Friends, family and strangers gathered dressed in green and ceremoniously released balloons of the same color. The young man’s family, like his aunt Teresa Brown, said his life was cut short less than a year after he moved to Indianapolis to start a new chapter.

“He was here and he wanted to start his own life,” Brown said. “He was from Arizona. He wanted to do his own thing, that’s why he got the apartment. (He) had a job. (He) just wanted to start his own life.”

Isaac’s family and friends describe him as kind, loving and loyal. He is motivated like no other, they said.

“The last thing he did was read the Bible,” said Isaac’s cousin Montez Williams. “He just wanted to show that this was the path he was on. I just know him as a good kid, as someone who actually tried to do something different.”

Residents of the Villages at Mill Crossing told FOX59 and CBS4 they heard gunshots Saturday night. A neighbor found Williams the next morning.

As police search for a suspect, Isaak’s family wants their message to be heard across Indianapolis. They, like many families affected by gun crime, are calling for an end to the senseless violence.

“At some point, everyone will be affected by gun violence,” Brown said. “If you think it won’t happen, keep thinking about it. If you see something, say something.”