MIRAMAR, Fla. – An extremely emotional ceremony was held Tuesday night for a Miramar high school student who was killed by three teenagers.
Family, friends, city officials and Miramar police officers consoled one another as the group of more than 200 people gathered for a candlelight vigil honoring 18-year-old Dwight “DJ” Grant.
Many who attended said they came to show support for the victim’s mother.
Grant’s mother was surrounded by loved ones as one by one, those who knew him best spoke to the crowd.
“He was an amazing person, he had such a great personality everywhere he went he would make people smile in the room,” one speaker said.
A group of nurses who worked with Grant’s mother at Memorial Regional Hospital came as a showing of support for a teen whose life was cut short, and for a mother who gave everything to try and provide her son with a better life.
“I know what your dream was for him,” one of the nurses said. “But I just want you to know that we are here with you as a family, and we are not going to leave you.”
The vigil was held just feet away from the bushes where Grant’s body was found, two days after he was stabbed to death.
Police have since arrested 17-year-old Andre Clements, 17-year-old Christie Parisien and 16-year-old Jaslyn Smith for the murder.
The three will be charged as adults for the killing that Miramar police said they planned, with chilling test messages as part of the evidence.
Ultimately, surveillance video placed all three teens at the crime scene.
At the vigil on Tuesday, as loved ones released balloons and said their final goodbyes, their hope is that Moore is in a better place.
“DJ grew up knowing the lord and lord we can only pray that DJ is with you,” said Pamela Allison, a friend of Moore’s mother.