LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Balloons filled the Little Rock skies Thursday night to remember a young man whose life was taken.

As balloons rose to the sky, bullet holes sat in the window of a Valley Estates of Mabelvale apartment. This is where 16-year-old Darrin Williams was when he was shot and killed on August 12.  

Williams is the youngest person to be shot and killed in Little Rock this year.

“I want you to know you hurt me really bad. You’re not only hurting yourself, but you hurt my mama, you hurt our family,” 

These are words from Aaliyah William, Darrin’s big sister to the person who pulled the trigger. 

“Taking somebody’s life is not the right way,” Williams said.

On the night of the shooting, Aaliyah says she and her mom were at a hotel because of issues with their apartment.

“We asked if he wanted to come to the hotel that night and he said no, he was just going to come home,” Williams stated.

She says she wishes her baby brother would have chosen to rest at the hotel and feels he would still be alive if he did. 

Since 1991, the founder of the Arkansas Stop the Violence Movement, Rev. Bennie Johnson has attended countless number of balloon releases and sat with hundreds of families.

“I get sick and tired of having to go to funeral after funeral and see the devastation and see loved ones just torn and heart broken,” Johnson said.

But stopping the violence is a mission he refuses to give up on.

“Sometimes you feel live giving up but if I give up who’s going to fight,” Johnson stated.

Fighting for an end to senseless killing and fighting to put whoever pulled the trigger, killing Darrin Williams, behind bars.

“Just know we are going to get justice for this,” Aaliyah Williams said.

The Little Rock Police Department says they are following the leads they have, to make an arrest. 

This is an ongoing investigation, and we will keep you updated when more information is available.