‘They took my baby’: Family mourns Varina High senior shot, killed on I-64

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The family of a Varina High School senior continues to mourn his passing after he was shot and killed on Interstate 64 on Sunday.

On Sunday, June 1, 18-year-old Naseem Kareim King of Henrico County was shot while driving eastbound on I-64 just before exit 187, according to Virginia State Police.

King died at the scene. Authorities confirm he was driving a 2016 Nissan Maxima with two other people in the car, who were not injured.

"They took my baby -- I don't understand why they took my baby," said Makeda King, Naseem's mother, in an exclusive interview with 8News.

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Makeda explained that she received the call about her son being shot at around 2 a.m. on Sunday. She immediately rushed to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center.

She would soon learn Naseem was not at the hospital as, unbeknownst to her, he had succumbed to his injuries at the scene. A nurse at the hospital then met with her.

"She said that she tried to do CPR on Naseem -- and she said, 'I want to tell you he didn't make it. He died on the scene,'" Makeda said of that moment. "I was numb."

Makeda told 8News that Naseem was a loving boy. His cousins and sisters shared the same sentiment.

"He was so loved ... he was just a good kid and he had skills and so much potential," said Devon Cyrille, Naseem's cousin. "I have two young sons — they're nine and five -- and they would crawl on him and play with him. He was somebody that was always there for his family."

Naseem King and his family. (Photo: Maia King)

Naseem King and his family. (Photo: Maia King)

Naseem King and his family. (Photo: Maia King)

Naseem King. (Photo: Maia King)

Naseem King and his family. (Photo: Maia King)

Naseem King and his family. (Photo: Maia King)

Naseem was just a month away from receiving his diploma from Varina High School and just days away from interviewing for an apprenticeship as a forklift operator.

His mother and sister both stressed that he was not involved in any gang activity or crime of any kind -- meaning this kind of tragedy has left them shocked.

"My brother wasn't a bad dude, he wasn't in the streets -- so it just does not make any sense to us," said Quincyuana Johnson, King's sister. "For us to be going through this ... it seems unreal right now."

As Naseem's family prepares to say farewell, they also sit with the reality of their loved one's passing.

"What would I give to just dap up my little cousin and wrap him in my arms [and] let him know I love him ... I'd give the world for that," Cyrille said.

"Everything I do is for Naseem, and it's always going to be that," said another one of Naseem's sisters, Ma'ah King. "I got to go out and do the right thing for Naseem."

8News has reached out to Virginia State Police to see if there have been any developments in this investigation and was told there was no new information available as of Wednesday.