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'My first Thanksgiving without him:' Marcus Key's mother begs for answers in son's death

Kernersville police say someone shot and killed the 14-year-old boy at Fourth of July Park on Wednesday. Investigators haven't arrested anyone yet.

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — Kernersville police are still looking for the person who shot and killed a child at a park on Wednesday. 

Fourteen-year-old Marcus Key died at Fourth of July Park Wednesday night around 6:30 p.m. Police said when they got there, Marcus was already dead from a gunshot. 

His bereaved mother, Julia Gwyn, is desperately wanting answers. 

"You weren't scared to pull the trigger. Don't be scared to take the time, because I'm losing all my time and all my years - the holidays and everything without him. This is going to be my first Christmas, my first Thanksgiving without him," Gwyn said. 

Marcus' family placed a memorial at the park. 

Police haven't made an arrest, nor have they released any information about a suspect. They're still trying to piece together what led up to the shooting but said they believe it was an isolated incident and that there is no threat to the public. 

Gwyn just wants to know who is responsible for taking her son's life. 

"I just want to know who did it. I just want to know if you did it or know something, to contact the Kernersville police department or anybody, so we can get justice for Marcus. That was my baby boy. They took him for no reason. He shouldn’t have been dead. He should be with us still. That’s my baby and he got shot for no reason," she said. 

Key and his siblings attended New Birth Baptist Church in Walnut Cove from a young age. Pastor Dwayne Young said the pandemic kept them from in-person worship but the teen always watched virtual service.

"He was very intelligent and he would talk intelligently about God's word," Young said.

If you have any information about the shooting, please call Kernersville Police Department. 

Credit: Julia Gwyn
14-year-old Marcus Key
Credit: Julia Gwyn
Julia Gwyn shared these photos of her 14-year-old son, Marcus Key.

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