🌹💔 HE WAS ONLY 5 AND READY FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR — BUT LANDYN BROOKS NEVER REACHED HIS CLASSROOM

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA — July 13, 2024 — Landyn Brooks was only 5 years old, but his family already knew the things that made him special.

He was remembered as a joyful, loving little boy with a smile capable of brightening any room. He also loved football and played for Wahouma Park’s 5U team, giving his family another reason to cheer him on. 🏈❤️

A new school year was approaching.

Landyn should have been picking out clothes, preparing for another year of learning and getting ready to walk into a classroom surrounded by other children.

Instead, his family would soon be preparing for a farewell no parent should ever have to face.

On July 13, 2024, Landyn was inside a vehicle with his mother, Arkia “Kia” Berry, and her boyfriend, Eric Ashley Jr., when a devastating shooting occurred in Birmingham.

All three lost their lives.

The tragedy was made even more painful by the fact that Landyn had already experienced an enormous loss at such a young age.

Several years earlier, he had lost his father to violence.

Then, just four years later, Landyn lost his mother — and his own life — in the same devastating incident. 💔🕊️

For a 5-year-old, those losses are impossible to comprehend.

Instead of growing up surrounded by the people who loved him, Landyn became a child remembered through pH๏τographs, family stories and memories of his bright smile.

Authorities have continued pursuing the case, and a man has been indicted on three capital murder charges in connection with the deaths.

The legal process may eventually provide accountability, but nothing can restore the years that Landyn should have had.

He should have experienced his first days of school.

He should have played more football games.

He should have celebrated birthdays, made new friends, discovered his talents and grown into the person he was meant to become. 🏈🎂

Those ordinary milestones may seem small, but they represent an entire childhood — one that Landyn never got the opportunity to live.

His story is therefore about much more than a criminal investigation.

It is about a 5-year-old boy who was loved.

A little boy who smiled brightly.

A young football player who had teammates cheering for him.

A child who should have had decades ahead of him. 🌹

For his family and community, Landyn’s memory will remain tied to the joy he brought into their lives rather than only the tragedy that took him away.

🕊️ May Landyn Brooks always be remembered as the happy, loving little boy who loved football and had so much more life ahead of him.

If Landyn’s story touched your heart, leave a ❤️ and share his name so his memory continues to live on.