‘He was supposed to come back': Family of teen shot, killed speaks out

Yahoo

18-02-2025

SPANISH LAKE, Mo. – A grieving family is speaking out after 18-year-old Demond Taylor was shot and killed outside Spanish Lake Market Sunday night.
His sister and girlfriend shared their memories of Demond—from his laughter, his kindness and the heartbreaking final moments before his life was taken.
'He's a playful person. Everybody loved him. So it just worries me that my brother gone. Like, I would never think that'll I'll go through something like this to have to bury my little brother,' Taylor's sister, Niya Brown, said.
Taylor was a brother, a friend and a light in the lives of many. Niya remembers the last time she saw him just hours before the shooting. Demond told his family he would be right back, but never returned.
'We all sat here. We talked. We laughed and he end up leaving, telling us he loves us and he'll be right back—which he was was supposed to come back, because they always come back,' Brown added.
Taylor's girlfriend, Dejah Robinson, shared what he meant to the community.
'Everybody loved him, literally. He could go anywhere because everybody loved him. It wasn't no problem,' she said.
Spanish Lake Market was a regular stop for Taylor. His sister said the owner knew him well.
'Spanish Lake Market was his market… my brother loved going up there,' she said.
Robinson was with him at the time of the shooting but could not say why he wanted to go there that night. She declined to talk about what happened in those final moments.
But Brown said the pain of losing her little brother is unbearable.
'He was my heart. He my everything. It's hard losing somebody you watched grow up,' she said.
Brown and her mother rushed to the scene, desperate for answers, but police wouldn't let them seem Taylor. Now, Brown has one message for anyone who has information on what happened.
'Speak up. This is a young Black kid. He died for no reason—for no reason really. How it went down, it was for no reason,' she said.
Their family was planning trips to California and Chicago—memories they will now never make. But through the pain, one thing is clear: Taylor was deeply loved and his loss is felt by many.
Police and the family are still searching for answers. If anyone has information regarding the shooting, contact St. Louis County Police or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous.
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