Community holds memorial for Suffolk man killed in shooting

Posted: Jul 15, 2020 / 10:37 PM EDT / Updated: Jul 15, 2020 / 11:28 PM EDT

SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A big crowd came together Wednesday evening to remember a Suffolk man killed in a shooting over the weekend.

Family and friends honored 29-year-old Lamar Elliott with a memorial back at the spot where he lost his life, in the 200 block of North Broad Street.

Elliott was remembered as a family man who always looked out for others.

RELATED: Family of Lamar Elliott seeks justice after Suffolk shooting

People we spoke to said it’s time to start listening instead of turning to violence.

“He was a lovable person,” said Gilbert Elliott, Lamar’s uncle.

Police responded to a shots fired call early Saturday morning at First Avenue and North Broad Street. When they arrived, they found Elliott deceased in his vehicle.

A couple hundred people gathered at the intersection — not to mourn Elliott’s death, but to celebrate his life.

“You can tell how much he’s loved and he’s definitely going to be missed,” said Elanor Scott, a friend.

The crowd remembered Elliott with T-shirts, flowers, balloons and candles.

Lovingly known as “Pablo,” friends and family tell us he was a great father who had come a long way over the years.

“He loved his kids. He made a change in his life,” Scott said.

No suspect has been named.

Elliott’s uncle, Gilbert, said his nephew should still be alive.

“Why we got to kill each other? Why we can’t be friends, talk it out. Why we have to shoot it out?” he said.

The community said it’s time for everybody to come together as one.

“This is not what we need. We don’t need Black-on-Black crime right now,” Scott said. “Real men talk. We don’t pull out weapons. Community come together.”

They hope Elliott’s death won’t be in vain.

“He’s gone. He’s in a better place,” Gilbert said.

If you have information about this shooting, call Suffolk Police.