‘We want answers and justice': Family of 13 year old Ryland Calvert speaking out two weeks after deadly shooting
COLBERT COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — It's been 2 weeks since 13-year-old Ryland Calvert was shot and killed at an apartment complex in Florence, and his family is now speaking out.
'He was an amazing athlete; he wanted to make it,' said Tiffany Calvert, Ryland's mother. 'He had the biggest heart, when you got to know him he was so loving'.
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Calvert said her son was taken way too soon.
'He would have been 14 on April 21; we were waiting on track to start up,' Calvert said.
Ryland was shot and killed at an apartment complex in Florence just two weeks ago.
'You know you're in denial, really. You really you go through a lot of now because that night I just slept on the couch and I usually don't just wait, thinking he was gonna come through the doors, you know,' Calvert said.
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Calvert says she misses him every day.
'We miss the small things, the momma, 'momma,' he didn't call me mom it was always momma and every time he'd say it, I would say 'what' because I knew he wanted something when he'd give me that 'momma,'' Calvert said.
Ryland dreamed of running track at the collegiate level. Ryland was ranked seventh in the country for the junior Olympics in track.
'He was good, he was stocky, he was muscular and he was just fast,' Calvert said.
Calvert said two weeks after the tragic shooting, she and her family just want answers and justice.
'We just want justice, whoever it falls on, we've said it from day one, if our son was in the wrong we have to admit he made a mistake but if he wasn't we want justice as well,' Calvert said.
They hope that no matter the outcome, they can keep Ryland's name and memory alive.
'Something greater will come from this and I do believe that, but is a mom, right now, that's really hard to hear because I'm selfish and I want him here but I do know something. Something will come. I don't know what it is but will,' Calvert said.
News 19 reached out to the Florence Police Department for an update on this incident. Florence PD tells News 19 that they are still investigating.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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