Family remembers 15-year-old murdered in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – One of Augusta’s latest victims of gun violence was 15-year-old Devayn Grissam.

That’s what authorities say he was shot on Helsinki Drive around 6:30 PM on Wednesday. He was taken to hospital where he later died.

On Friday, Devayn’s family continues to search for a way forward as information about potential suspects is limited.

“He took a piece of me. Of course. He took a piece of me, and I don’t know if I’m healing from it, you know,” said Telisha Grissam, Devayn’s aunt.

We sat down with Devayn’s family to see how they are honoring his life.

Moving on without Devayn will be difficult for his family.

They’re already thinking about how different the holidays will be without him.

But Devayn’s family wanted to speak with us to share his story and their message to the community to put down their arms.

It is a life cut short too soon.

“We’ll never achieve that. They will be able to see their children grow up, but we will never be able to see him grow and progress, and how could he have been 15 years old forever,” said Telisha.

Devayn loved his family, and his family loved him.

“If I had known that would be the last time I would see him, I would have hugged him a little tighter. I would have liked to talk to him a little longer. You never know when it will be the last time you lose someone you never knew. And losing a child to gun violence is hard,” Telisha said.

On the day Devayn died, his aunt says, “I remember almost falling to the floor at Walmart in North Augusta when I found out he had been killed.”

His family wants you to hear their heartbreaking plea.

“The cemeteries are filling up with our children. They have no chance at life, don’t even experience life to see what life is about. When you’re fifteen, you don’t know what life is about,” says Telisha.

Devayn’s family doesn’t want another family to feel their unbearable pain.

“Right now they’ve put a lot of stress on this family because now we have to worry about how we’re going to bury this 15-year-old child because this is so unexpected,” Telisha said.

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Together, his family chooses to commemorate Devayn for the life he led.

“He loved basketball. He loved to do somersaults, like in gymnastics. He was freaking out the whole time. He was a practical joker. Every time you see him, he always jokes about having fun,” his aunt said.

In their eyes he is forever 15.

“I speak on behalf of his father, his mother, his grandmother. I speak on behalf of my family. This is a pain we will have to endure for the rest of our lives,” said Telisha.

To date, no arrests have been made in connection with Devayn’s death.