Lewisville

Parents of 19-year-old murdered in Lewisville reflect on their son, senseless gun violence

Jayden Anderson was set to make an appearance at the Luxor Hookah Lounge when the fatal shooting happened

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There are new details in a shooting in Lewisville that took a teenager’s life. It happened Friday night outside a hookah lounge just before midnight. NBC 5’s Vince Sims has the latest.

Loved ones are mourning the tragic death of a young man who was gunned down outside of a hookah lounge in Lewisville in late March.

Jason and Delina Anderson are in disbelief that someone would kill their 19-year-old son Jayden Anderson.

"Most sweet, loving, big-hearted child,” the victim’s mother, Delina Anderson, said. “Just sweet and loveable."

"One of a kind,” his father Jason Anderson said. “He just has such a big heart. He loved everybody. He didn't see wrong in anybody. He had ideas and things that he wanted to do and he just was very determined.”

The victim's father said he was making his mark in the music industry.

Anderson Family

"We had just completed another double album,” Anderson said.

"Jayden was excited because, you know, we had already made plans to drop the album on July 10, and that's his birthday. He started making plans and stuff around that and everything else."

On Friday, March 29, Lewisville Police responded to a shooting call at a hookah lounge in the 1600 block of S.H. 121 business. 

Officers said a fight broke out, and during the fight, a gunman started shooting, hitting Anderson and another man. Anderson died from his injuries, and the other victim is expected to survive.

Anderson's parents were there supporting him when the shooting happened.

"We have a promotion team,” Jason Anderson said.  “We're about 30 of us so we get to the event, we're having some issues at the door, and then that sort of everything just popped off."

They all got separated in the chaos, and the next time they saw Jayden, they were in the hospital.

"I was like, I need to see his body because I have to lay my eyes on him to make sure that that was him,” Delina Anderson said. “I walked in the room. My baby was so swollen.”

“My son didn't deserve what happened to him,” Jason Anderson said.

They've now lost a son to senseless gun violence, and a 16-year-old is accused of shooting him.

"I mean, it's crazy like gangs, and you know my heart goes out to those young children too that are in that life because it's not the way to go," Delina Anderson said.

The 16-year-old suspect is being held at the Denton County Juvenile Detention Center and is charged with murder.

Because he’s a juvenile, his name and picture are not being released at this time.

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