The image of 19-year-old Rameek Roland is on a water ice stand and looms large over a South Philadelphia neighborhood.
"I just try to keep it alive, keep his name alive."
His mother, Susan Blatch, said her parting words to her son Monday July 10th, 2006, were for him to be safe.
"We was talking and he said 'mom I gotta run somewhere' and I was like okay and said 'be careful'."
Then the worst happened, just before 11:30 that night Rameek was found shot multiple times in the 18-hundred block of 20th street in South Philadelphia. He died a short time later.
"To lose a child is very hurtful. I'm hurting."
Susan said the night unfolded with an argument between several of Rameek's friends but it's unclear who was actually involved. She believes her son's shooting wasn't random.
"My son was assassinated. He wasn't killed he was assassinated."
Police said they have a 'person of interest' already behind bars on unrelated charges. Rameek's family has put together a 5-thousand dollars reward for anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
"I just can't get over it, I need justice. I need the public for help."
In the meantime, Susan works hard to keep Rameek's memory alive including running her own water ice stand in his honor.
"The violence has to stop."
