The family of 26-year-old William Hunter Drake has identified him as the victim in a Monday morning shooting that happened just off Lafayette Street near the Tony Sudekum Apartments.
Drake's sister-in-law Kayla Steen said he had just been released from jail on Friday after serving time for a drug charge.
"He was doing great," Steen said. "He was looking for a job and just doing what he could."
Steen was with Drake just an hour before his death. She said he decided to go to his home around midnight. He left and texted Steen shortly after.
"It was exactly 12:22 when he texted me and said goodnight and that he loved me," she said.
Police said Drake then parked his car at the Z Mart at 24 Lafayette Street, walked across the street, became involved in a fight with three to four other individuals, and was shot while trying to get away.
Officers believe Drake had planned to purchase drugs when he drove to the area, but Steen said they may never know exactly what happened.
"Why did he go that way? What was he doing over there? And why would someone just take an innocent person’s life?" Steen said.
Police have responded to 309 calls for service from early March to June at the Z Mart on Lafayette Street.
They continued to work to identify the people involved in Drake's murder.
