Just minutes before 2012, Jude Burns was gunned down on 61st Street and Normandy Avenue in South Central.
"He's gone. My God he was only 14," said his sister Shanena Brown. "I didn't expect him, out of all people, not him."
A memorial fund has been set up at Chase Bank for Jude E. Burns Jr.'s family: Account # 3012232111
On that day, Brown spoke to her brother on the phone hoping to get home from work in time to ring in the New Year with him.
"I talked to Jude, I'm like 'I am on my way home Jude', and he was like 'OK hurry up they're going to have fireworks," said Brown.
Burns died before his sister made it home- shot to death outside waiting for the fireworks to begin.
"Unknown suspects shot him several times," said Officer Nicholas Hartman with Los Angeles Police Department. "He then stumbled into his residence, told his mom he had been shot."
"I was holding him and he just took his last breath," said Burn's mother LaTonya Brown.
Police said the neighborhood where Burns was shot is a gang-plagued area, but they don't believe the 14-year-old was involved in any gangs.
"As far as we know he is not a gang member," said Hartman. "He has no tattoos, not a documented gang member that we know of."
Burns' mother said she did everything she could to protect her son.
"I tried to keep him out these streets," she said. "I knew how bad these streets was, these guys don't care about taking your life."
Burns' family said they want the violence in their neighborhood to stop and they want those responsible to be brought to justice.
"I hope they find whoever did this," said Burns' sister Mariah Smith. "We need some type of closure because this is not right. My little brother was only 14. He didn't even get to live his life."
Anyone with information about the murder is asked to call LAPD at 213-485-1383.
A memorial fund has been set up at Chase Bank for Jude E. Burns Jr.'s family: Account # 3012232111
