NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY)- The family of 14-year-old Rylon Daniels spoke with KLFY after Daniels was killed in a shooting at the New Iberia Spanish Festival.

“Rylon was a social butterfly and he had a lot of friends,” said Rashida Thibodeaux, Rylon’s mother. “I don’t even know where this all came from, but he was loved, and he knew it.”

Detectives with the New Iberia Police Department said the Spanish Festival was shut down Saturday night due to the shooting. This comes after police said they were called to the 100 block of West Main Street near the Spanish Festival, in reference to shots being fired. When they arrived, they found Daniels with gunshot wounds.

Daniels was rushed to a local hospital, but unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries. Daniels’ mother says she found out about the shooting after her son, Rylon, pocket dialed her while the paramedics were working on him. She says she is still trying to process the whole situation.

“I haven’t slept since my child called me,” said Thibodeaux. “My child actually pocket dialed me while the paramedics was working on him, I was last phone call that Rylon made last night, my girls are taking it hard, I’m trying to be strong for them, but, my heart, never really felt it yet.”

Nyeshia Arceneaux, Daniels’ aunt, stays in Houston. Arceneaux says when she received a call about Rylon, she drove back overnight to be with her loved ones.

“I live in Houston Texas, so I got the phone call around 12:30, 12:45 a.m., and I immediately jumped on the road and was in New Iberia for 3:45 a.m., it’s very hard just coming and embracing your sister and she just breaks down,” said Arceneaux.

The family says Daniels was a star athlete at Belle Place Middle School, as a player on the basketball team, football team and track team. Daniels’ godmother, Jamaya Johnny, says it hurts to know they won’t be able to see him succeed in high school.

“He was an all-around athlete and loved sports,” said Johnny. “He was so excited to move on to high school, it’s very heartbreaking, he’ll never get the chance to play high school sports which is sad.”

Daniels’ loved ones say they will always remember him for his kindness and infectious laugh. They say he did not deserve to have his life taken away.

“He didn’t deserve to go like this, he definitely didn’t,” said Arceneaux. “Ya’ll took a star away, we will never be able to see where he was going to go, how far he would even go, y’all took that from us.”

New Iberia Police say a 15-year-old male juvenile has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile, and illegal use of weapons.

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