The mother of an 8-year-old boy shot and killed in Landover, Maryland, offered poignant memories of her son 鈥� while vowing to support his friends 鈥� at a candlelight vigil on Thursday night.
Peyton James 鈥淧.J.鈥� Evans was shot on Tuesday while inside a relative鈥檚 home on Brightseat Road. Police said a man got out of a white sedan and started firing multiple rounds into an apartment building. They said P.J. was an innocent bystander.
His mother, Tiffani Evans, said P.J. was playing video games and enjoying 鈥淭aco Tuesday鈥� when he was shot.
Evans gave an emotional speech about her son, an avid pee-wee football player for the Showcase Sharks. She was joined by many of his teammates at the vigil, held at Summerfield Park in Landover.
Evans said she is raising funds to support the team in P.J.鈥檚 honor. A set up Antoine Dotson, P.J.鈥檚 uncle and godfather, has raised more than $21,000 out of a $25,000 goal.
Evans described her son, a rising third-grader, as 鈥渁 big teddy bear.鈥� But she said sometimes that didn鈥檛 work to his advantage as a football player.
鈥淭here was plenty of days when he wanted to give up. I鈥檓 not even going to lie to you all because there are going to be plenty of days when your youngest will want to give up, but P.J. never gave up,鈥� she said.
In fact, the night he was killed, Evans said he was celebrating that he got a sack in an earlier scrimmage game.
Evans said her life was centered around her 鈥渂aby boy.鈥�
鈥淗e appreciated me. He appreciated my struggles. He appreciated everything that I gave to him. He did because he told me all the time,鈥� she said.
鈥淎ll you mothers out here, you all take time with your kids because I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way and my son knew that until the day he died.
鈥淗ug your kids. Tell your kids you love them every second, even when it鈥檚 getting on their nerves,鈥� she said to laughter among the parents, reminiscing how P.J. would 鈥済et annoyed that his mom kissed him too much.鈥�
But now, while she said P.J. is at peace, Evans admitted that she doesn鈥檛 know what she鈥檚 going to do with her life.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 going to work for, so I鈥檓 going to work for these kids. My son would have it no other way,鈥� she told the crowd, pledging that she would raise funds to support P.J.鈥檚 teammates.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to live for you all because my son would not have it no other way,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my job, that鈥檚 my mission, that鈥檚 my promise to you all.鈥�
Evans asked the crowd to join her in repeating an affirmation that she and her son said every day: “I believe in myself. I believe in myself. Without God, I鈥檓 nothing. And with God, I鈥檓 everything,鈥� the crowd chanted.
Then they repeated the words of his mother: 鈥淧.J., I love you.鈥�
草莓传媒’s Michelle Basch contributed to this report.
