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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A Clarksville mother is pleading for justice after her 13-year-old son was shot and killed Friday night. Police say this is the second homicide they have had to investigate so far this year.
“It just doesn’t seem real, like, it just doesn’t feel real,” said Parrese Johnson.
As she sat down with a photo of her 13-year-old son, Paul Miller nearby, she spoke softly about the day she lost her oldest son.
“Sometimes I just try to trick myself into thinking he’s at a friend’s house,” she said. “I got a call that he was shot.”
Johnson described it as a typical day, as she and her family were headed out to get ice cream. Then, she started to get a call, the person on the other end would tell her that her son had been shot and where she needed to go.
Clarksville police were called to Oakmont Drive. A video would show several police cars, crime scene tape and the aftermath of the crime.
After Johnson received that phone call, she remembered driving straight to the scene, thinking she was not getting there fast enough. She recalled watching as people worked to save her son before he was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
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“At that very moment, I was just hoping they made a mistake. That it was not him. That was what I wanted to be true,” said Johnson. “They have no idea what they took from me. They stole his whole life from me, and I’m praying every day to forgive them for that.”
According to police, Miller was shot in the chest. The oldest of three children, Johnson said he was easily considered a light in the house.
“I went to the hospital and we just waited until the detective came in and told us he didn’t make it,” she said. “He’s just so sweet. He was the sweetest kid, always trying to make sure everybody else was okay.”
Quickly after the shooting, the investigation began. The Clarksville Police Department released video surveillance of the suspect’s car, showing a dark-colored SUV. Detectives do not believe this was a random shooting.
“I need them to find out who did this. I need them to,” said Johnson.
The family has created a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs. They are hoping someone will come forward with information.
