The parents of the star high school football player murdered near an Atlanta mall last week paid tribute to their son. Elijah DeWitt’s mother said he was meeting his girlfriend Wednesday night when a botched robbery took his life.

Dawn DeWitt wants her son Elijah to be remembered for who he is, not for what happened to him. “I want people to remember him as a tough competitor with a big heart,” she said.

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Elijah is 18 years old. His life ended last week when he was shot near Dave and Buster at Sugarloaf Mills Mall in Lawrenceville. “Absolutely the worst day of my life,” Dawn said. Elijah was the star catcher at Jefferson High School. He has big dreams of playing college ball.

“His life came to a complete stop within seconds,” Dawn said. Police charged two teenagers with killing him. Kemare Bryan, 18, and Chandler Richardson, 19, were arrested in South Carolina. They will return to Gwinnett County on Monday. Investigators said the suspect may have known Elijah. His father, Craig DeWitt, said the family had forgiven them.

“Forgiveness is for the forgiver. We don’t want this family to be filled with hatred,” he said. Elijah’s four-year-old girlfriend said it was exactly what he wanted.