KENTWOOD, Mich. — A Kentwood family is grieving the loss of 17-year-old Stephon Harris, who was hit and killed by a vehicle late Wednesday night while walking home from work.
Harris' body was found Thursday morning at the intersection of Eastern and Hardwick. He had just finished a shift at a nearby KFC, with a manager telling me he clocked out at 10:41 p.m. and left on foot — a route he took frequently.
His mother, Mercedes Anderson, said she checked his location around that time and saw he was still in the area. When family members went to check on him, they found the worst.
"I checked his location. My son was still pinged up there. And when my daughter and my auntie, went up there. He was in the body bag," Anderson said.
Kentwood police say Harris was hit by a dark-colored SUV that likely has damage to the front and passenger side.
Anderson is pleading with anyone in the neighborhood who might know something.
"Don't be scared. That's a baby. I know if it was your baby, you would want somebody to say something," Anderson said.
Family members described Harris as a dedicated young man who balanced work and school while bringing joy to everyone around him.
"He was an amazing soul. He was very funny, very, very good. So he was the type of soul that, you know, like, turn your frown upside down," his brother Michael Toussaint said.
WATCH: Kentwood family mourns 17-year-old killed in a hit-and-run while walking home from work
His great-aunt, Minister Joy Pickens, echoed that sentiment.
"Very smart, intellectual. He was just on top of everything," Pickens said.
Toussaint said he had spoken with his younger brother just the day before the crash, talking about gaming and plans after work. He said he had a feeling something was wrong that night but didn't know what it was until morning.
"I was like, up all night. It's like, you know when you get that feeling when you can't sleep, but you got the feel like something is off, but you don't know what's off. That's what that feeling was like. And then all the whole time it was my brother. That was the feeling that was off. I hate that so much," Toussaint said.
Toussaint said his brother had a future full of promise that was cut short.
"For my little brother to be gone, though, at such a young age, like he has so much to accomplish that he wanted to accomplish. You can't do that now, because somebody took his life away. That's not fair," Toussaint said.
He wants the world to know who his brother was.
"What happened to him, he didn't deserve that. He was just such a good soul. Such a great future ahead of him, and it just sucks that he wasn't able to enjoy that," Toussaint said. "I just want to know that my brother is in a better place now, and I love him so, so, so much,"
The family plans to hold a vigil at the intersection of Eastern avenue and Hardwick street on Friday at 6 p.m.
Because of the high volume of traffic on Eastern Avenue, police believe there could be a number of potential witnesses.
Anyone who has information on what happened, including suspicious activity in the area, is encouraged to contact the Kentwood Police Department at (616) 656-6580. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.
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