PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Family members of a 23-year-old man who died after what police are calling an accidental shooting said while they aren't angry at the shooter, they do want whoever they are to turn themselves in.
Myrick Rynell Taylor Jr. died Friday night after a shooting at an apartment complex named The Pointe in Port Arthur.
Taylor’s mother, Nikki Taylor, said she never thought she would lose her son like this. She said these first few days without her son have been the hardest of her life.
"That's a feeling that will never go away, especially if you had a child like that,” Nikki Taylor said. “I just don't know. It's like my life is just turned upside down."
Nikki Taylor described her son as a “mama’s boy.” The grieving mother said her son worked at an area prison and never got into any trouble.
Nikki Taylor said Myrick Taylor was a great father to his 5-year-old son, Caleb.
Taylor said she is living every parent's worst nightmare after losing her only son at such a young age.
"I'll never be prepared for any of my kids, but for my son, I wasn't prepared. I wasn't,” Nikki Taylor said. “It's hard, and this is something I don't think I'm ever, I'm not going to ever come back from this."
Myrick Taylor’s mother said his death has hit her, his two sisters and the rest of the family hard.
“The last text I got was, ‘Out of everything I been through and I'm going through, I know I always got my mama and two sisters.' And he was like. ‘I love y'all,’” Nikki Taylor sad.
Nikki Taylor said she always told her son to be vigilant, especially when around someone with a gun. The Port Arthur mother said she is still trying to make sense of what happened.
“My minds going a thousand miles because I want to know where this happened, why this happened, what was the purpose, why y'all had it, you know, it's just a lot of questions going through my mind and nobody can answer,” Nikki Taylor said.
Nikki Taylor believes the shooting that lead to her son's death was accidental and said she is not mad at the shooter. However, she does want them to come forward and own up to what they did.
Police said they are still talking to witnesses about the fatal Friday night incident. Port Arthur Police Investigator Mike Hebert said the incident reinforces the importance of gun safety.
“The number one rule of having a gun is always believe that that gun is loaded and never point it at someone,” Hebert said.
Port Arthur police say they have spoken to multiple witnesses and are hoping to bring the case in front of the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office soon.
