SAN ANTONIO — A growing number of people in San Antonio are dying violently. San Antonio Police tell KENS 5, so far, this year there have been 35 murders. In the first four months of 2018, there were 36.
Latoya McHenry's 19-year-old son, Benny Odem III, was shot and killed on Friday. "They stole him from me," she said." It was senseless."
Odem was shot and killed at an apartment complex at the 2100 block of Northeast Loop 410. Police and his mom are trying to figure out who did it and why.
"I wanted to see him get married and buy his first house," she said. "It is a thing I will never get to see. He was not in that street life. He didn't even live in the apartments he was murdered in."
McHenry is not only dealing with Odem's death, but her mother died just six days before her son. "I can't even mourn the loss of my mother right now, because he is so dear to me," she said.
According to SAPD, there have been 10 murders just this month. There were seven last month, which means 18 occurred in January and February for a total of 35.
"We are numbers now," she said. "We are numbers. We are just statistics."
On Monday afternoon, Odem's family and friends released balloons in his honor. They want justice, and will remember the young man taken too soon.
"If you don't come forward, you will be found," McHenry said. "You are wrong. You are so very wrong."
The family has also established a GoFundMe page. For more information, click here.