STOCKTON, Calif. — Heartbroken and still in disbelief, Amanda Meays recounts the last moments she communicated with her son, 17-year-old Thai Khin, less than an hour before he was shot and killed at Stockton's Unity Park Wednesday.
"The last thing he said was, 'I love you mom,' and he stopped texting me," said Meays. "I was at the grocery store and I got a phone call from a family member that told me he was shot."
Meays rushed to the hospital but by the time she arrived, her son, a standout student at Cesar Chavez High School, had already died.
She says the high school junior was just a few credits short of graduating early.
He played basketball and baseball and was learning to be a barber, but above all she says he was a good person.
"He was an amazing boy. He loved his family. He loved school. He loved helping other people. He went out of his way to do for others before he did for himself," said Meays. "He was the most dedicated child to succeed in life. He just wanted to do well and be able to provide for his family"
The shooting happened Wednesday afternoon. Stockton Police say Thai and another 16-year-old student were playing basketball at Unity Park, near the high school when two suspects approached them.
The 16-year-old was pistol-whipped and robbed, leading to a fight. Thai was shot during the fight, according to police. The suspects ran away from the scene.
Nearly 24 hours after the deadly shooting, detectives were still combing the scene, using metal detectors to search for evidence.
Meanwhile, at Cesar Chavez High School Thursday, counselors and emotional support animals were on-hand for students coping with their sudden loss.
Hours later as school was let out, some Cesar Chavez High School students lit candles and created a memorial.
"It's just sad, to be honest. I don't have any words right now," said Taren Louth, a Cesar Chavez High School student.
Thai's sister and girlfriend were also without words as they sat next to the teen's mother who is now forced to raise funds for her son's funeral on GoFundMe.
"Somebody knows something and this can be resolved and justice could be made," said Meays. "He's very loved."
Watch more Stockton news from ABC10: 'Gentle giant' | Stockton family mourning 22-year-old son killed in sideshow shooting
