One year later, family still grieves murder of Fresno City College athlete

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno mother said she's grieving the loss of her son one year after he was murdered.

Deondre Howard was shot in August 2015 and police are still looking for his killer. Right now the family is holding a celebration of life event for Deondre but even this is hard for his mom who said there's not a day that goes by where she doesn't hurt for what happened to her son.

"Deondre - he was not a bad person, he wasn't no hateful person, he was a loving person," his mom Jonte McCreary said.

One year has passed since the killing of the 21-year-old. The Fresno City College baseball star athlete was gunned down in front of his home on Charles Avenue in northwest Fresno.

McCreary is still trying to figure out why someone would end her son's promising life.

"I feel like if that person had something that he didn't like about Day-Day or whatever Day-Day did to him, he could have came and talked to Day-Day instead of shooting him," she said.

Police said Howard had no criminal history or gang ties, making it a senseless shooting that still leaves the suspect on the run.

"There's no way in the world this guy should be walking the streets," McCreary said.

The family has made Howard's death anniversary into a celebration of life. They're calling this Sunday Day-Day Day. Day-Day is the nickname Howard had and they're hoping this time next year an arrest for Howard's killer will be made.

"I'm tired I want justice for my son," McCreary said.

"It's heartbreaking," Deondre's aunt Latoya Goodwin said. "Because we didn't get a chance to see what he was pursuing because after the coward came and took his life."