KILLEEN, Texas — After a shooting in broad daylight on Monday morning in Killeen, a mother is demanding justice for her fallen 16-year-old son.
Killeen police identified Sonny Brownlow as the victim of a shooting outside a convenience store on Zephyr Road. Brownlow was leaving the store in his car just after 10 a.m. when a still-unidentified shooter fired at him.
Now, his mother, Rachel Dees, is calling for Killeen Police to take action swiftly.
"There is no way that's how I should've had to start my morning — any morning. Kids are supposed to bury their parents. Parents are not supposed to bury their kids," Dees said.
Brownlow was just days away from his 17th birthday.
Brownlow was the fourth person murdered in Killeen in 2023.
Brownlow's friend, Va'Quintin Maestre, 18, was shot and killed in early April. His mother, Vanessa Shaw, joined Dees on Tuesday.
"We had a funeral for my son last weekend," Shaw said. "Now we've got to do this all over again for her son. She's still grieving my son's death and now they took her son."
Dees is calling on Killeen police to find the killer and hold him accountable. She said she was disappointed by the lack of communication they have had with her thus far.
"Justice or no peace. And I mean it," she said.
Both mothers are asking the community for financial assistance as they hold services for their sons.
To find the GoFundMe to benefit the family of Sonny Brownlow, click here.
To find the GoFundMe to benefit the family of Va'Quintin Maestre, click here.
