Friends remember young shooting victim

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Michiana has started the new year on a low note—with shots fired and two pronounced dead in the first four days of the new year.

Tonight friends who became family to Deshawn Daniel Pfeifer Junior, spoke out about the immense loss.

“It was a lot easier for me to not believe it than to accept it or embrace cause I’m like there’s no way.”

Laronn Williams is still trying to understand how 20-year-old, Deshawn Pfeifer Jr., who was like a son to him, was found dead on Saturday.

Laronn Williams says, "He wouldn’t put himself in a situation like that that isn’t who he is like how did this happen.”

Just before 1 pm on Saturday a person walking by found Pfeifer's body with multiple gun shot wounds in an alley near Corby Blvd. in South Bend.

Williams says that when he heard the news from his daughter all he could think about was the first time he met the young man, “and he would call me pops so that really made me take a liking to him.”

And Williams says the victim was like any young person who got into trouble here and there, "I can tell you 10 bad things about him but I can tell you a hundred good things about him the good definitely out weighed the bad.”

But through all of the trials of his life, including losing his father at a young age— Williams says Pfeifer was trying to do the right thing; "The last time I saw him he had his life back on tracks job he was working car a girlfriend.”

Now the entire family is starting 2020 in mourning.

Williams says, "I just hope that everybody can get the closure they need, start the healing process kinda move forward together as best we could.”

The familysays they will be holding a vigil later this week to remember their lost son, brother and friend.

ABC57 will keep you updated on investigation---both on air and online.