WARRENVILLE, S.C. () — A young man shot and killed in Warrenville early Sunday morning. His family is shattered — and still waiting for answers.

“That call was the worst phone call I’ve ever received. I, I’d be so scared to pick up a phone,” Brittany Sheppard said.

Tranard Sheppard was just 18, and his family affectionately called him Nard, while his rap name was Baby Nard. To his mother, Brittany, he was everything. “He would say, ‘Mama, when I earn a lot through my rap career, I’m going to get you a car.’ I replied, ‘I’d prefer a house instead’,” she recalled with a chuckle. “He is my baby,” she expressed fondly.

“And to say he was 18, he still drank the Mott’s for Tots Apple juice and ate animal crackers. He loved animal crackers.,” Aunt Santana Bush added.

Their laughter is a way to manage the pain. On Sunday, Aiken County deputies were alerted to gunfire near Sarah and Farrell Streets in Warrenville. They discovered Nard in a yard, wounded by multiple gunshots. His father had heard the gunfire and tried to assist but had to take cover after the third shot.

“When he finally reached his son, my son was taking his last breath. My heart is shattered. I can’t bring him back,” Brittany shared.

His mom says a friend who was supposed to watch him — didn’t. “A so-called friend came, came in on a Friday and my son was gone Sunday morning,” she said.

The shooting came weeks after he lost two brothers in a crash. He was pulling back, focusing on home — helping to take care of his seven siblings.

“And he has a niece coming and he was very excited about her. Her name is Aya. And he couldn’t wait for her to come,” Bush said.

As they plan his funeral, they’re working to keep his voice alive through his music. The family is urging anyone with information to come forward to the authorities.

“You took him from so many possibilities before the age of 21. You know, I would never forget. Never. I can forgive, but I would never forget because I would never be able to hug my son again,” Brittany added.