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.

18-year-old Tranard Sheppard, known to his family as Nard and to his fans as Baby Nard, held a special place in his mother Brittany’s heart. “He would say, ‘Mama, when I make a lot of money from rapping, I’ll buy you a car.’ I joked back, ‘No, I want a house instead,'” she reminisced with a laugh. “That was my baby. That IS my baby.”

“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.

Laughter provides some comfort to them in this difficult time. On Sunday, deputies from Aiken County responded to reports of gunfire near the intersection of Sarah and Farrell Streets in Warrenville. They discovered Nard in a yard, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. His father, who heard the gunshots, rushed to assist but had to take cover when more shots were fired.

“When he finally reached our son, Nard was breathing his last. This shatters my heart. I can’t bring him back,” Brittany expressed sorrowfully.

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.