‘I just want answers.’ Mother of teen killed during house party wants killer to hear her message

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The mother of a 14-year-old killed at a house party hopes her son’s killer will hear her message.

“I would like for that person to just come forward,” said Shawnda Schafer. “I just want answers. I just want to know why.”

Schafer’s son’s name is Landon Andrews. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office identified him as the victim of a weekend shooting at a party on Victoria Road.

“I didn’t get him up for school this morning, I didn’t get him up for school yesterday. He didn’t get to eat dinner here. I didn’t get to talk to him. That person took that away from me and my family,” said Schafer.

Schafer told Channel 2′s Chris Jose her son was a freshman at Kell High School. The student-athlete was a member of the football team. He also played baseball and basketball.

“He never met a stranger. Everybody was his friend,” said Schafer. “The whole thing is just senseless to me. I just don’t understand.”

Deputies released cell phone video of a fight at West 22 apartments near Kennesaw State University. They believe the people in the video ended up at the Cherokee County house party. Schafer told Jose she doesn’t see her son in the clip.

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“What would you tell him right now?” asked Jose.

“That I miss him and that I’m sorry. We’re working so hard to figure out who did this to him,” said Schafer.

Schafer said she gave her son permission to spend the night at a friend’s house. She had no idea they would be attending a party.

“I always tracked that (cell phone) location and I knew something was wrong when I couldn’t find him on his location,” said Schafer.

Schafer told Jose she texted her son and his friend but didn’t get a response. When she called the friend’s mother, she thought they were sleeping.

Minutes later, Schafer said she received a call from Andrews’ friend. In tears, he said someone shot her son.

“I actually passed the ambulance on the way there and I didn’t know it was him. I just flew down to Kennestone,” said Schafer.

Schafer said Andrews went through two surgeries.

“The other doctor came in and told me that I needed to come in and sit with him because his heart was getting ready to stop. I asked if there was anything I could do, and they said there was nothing I could do. I needed to come in and sit with him, so I said okay. I just went in there and just held his hand,” said Schafer. “I’m not going to let it go. I don’t want Landon to feel like I just gave up.”

The sheriff’s office said investigators continue to interview people who have come forward.

Crime Stoppers Atlanta is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

RELATED NEWS:

14-year-old shot, killed during weekend house party in Cherokee County Deputies said they were called out to a home on Victoria Road, west of Woodstock, just before 1:30 a.m. on a “person shot” call.

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