Instead of celebrating Broussard's birthday with him, his loved ones only had their memories this year.

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)-- Family and friends of 18-year-old Justin Broussard, who was shot to death in Downtown Lafayette on New Year's Eve, remembered his life with a vigil. They chose to hold the vigil on Friday, as Broussard would have celebrated his 19th birthday.

"Every year, me and Justin would get a cake, and we'd be with each other on every birthday for the last 5, 6 years," Broussard's friend, Devin Taylor, said. "It's fancy. He'd be happy to see this cake."

Instead of celebrating Broussard's birthday with him, his loved ones only had their memories this year.

"He would just bring joy to everybody and just make the room light up," his niece, Jordyn Olivier said.

"He always made sure everybody smiled," his friend, Tyler Hendershot, added.

"I know that even though he's in heaven now, we'll always be protected by him," Abigail Fontenot, Broussard's girlfriend, told News 10.

Some wrote letters to Justin.

"No matter what, you were always our protector," his cousin, Kaylan Broussard, read. "Now I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

His mother and sister framing a letter they found from him after his death.

"I'm going off by saying I love y'all so much. Me being here made me sit back and say to myself, why didn't I listen to you? But I'm also hard-headed. It was too late, but I'm going to do better. I promise you, mom," Broussard's sister, Emily Hooks, read from his letter.

His sister said he wrote that letter to his mom while serving a brief stint in jail.

"It just drives me insane because he wanted to be better. He strived to be better, and he starts doing better. He gets a job, he gets his life going where he wants it to, finds him a good girlfriend, and this happens and just takes everything from him that he's worked so hard to get to," his sister added.

Broussard's mother now just hopes for peace with all families involved, as a 17-year-old male juvenile and 29-year-old Russell Henry of Arnaudville were both arrested in connection with Justin's murder.

"I know they're hurting too. That's their kids. My son's life is gone. I can't bring him back, but I'm not mad at them for anything. I just want all this to stop. I do deserve justice for my son, but I know they're hurting too because that's their kids too. I don't want any anger or anything like that. I don't want any more violence. I wouldn't want anyone to go through the pain I'm going through losing my son," Kelly Broussard, Justin's mother, said.

Latest Posts