Mr. Arthur Lee Mourning Jr., age 49, lost his life on November 23, 2016 after being robbed and shot in his home. Arthur, known as “Lee Lee” by family and friends, was the father of six children. He was the youngest boy out of seven children, but he was me and my sister’s big brother. He also left behind two parents that loved him.
He spent almost every day with our dad, if he wasn’t with him, he was talking to him on the phone. My dad doesn’t remember Lee Lee as just a son but as his best friend.
My big brother was very popular when we were growing up. He was known for his baseball skills. He pitched for several baseball teams throughout his preteen and teenage years, where my dad was the coach.
He stayed in the same community even as an adult because he loved being around childhood friends that still lived in that area.
My brother wasn’t a troublemaker. He didn’t argue, fuss, fight or bother anyone. If my brother had it and you needed it, it was yours.
While Lee Lee was not quite an angel — his wings were “under construction,” he was no monster either. He was always the life of party. He kept us laughing by something he would do or say.
My bond with my big brother was different. He was my big brother, but I always had to act like his big sister. I was very protective of him. He would often times remind me that he was my BIG brother, and we would laugh about it. I was the only one that would call him Arthur. That was one of our special things.
Whoever did this to my brother will never truly know what void you have left in our family. We have never had a homicide in our family, so it’s been very difficult to find a new norm.
As of August 1, 2019, the suspect has not yet been identified. I really hope they find who did this to our family so that we can have closure.