Prom Date of Slain Teen Emotionally Honors Him by Wearing Dress with His Photo on, Bringing His Mom to Tears
A slain Atlanta teen's prom date is honoring his legacy in style.
Justin Eitenne, a student at Salem High School, was shot at Denny Dobbs Park in Newton County, Ga. while celebrating his Senior Skip Day on March 19, 2025. He was 18 and lived in Conyers, Ga..
Tierra Neil, Etienne's mother, gave his prom date, Reyaa, a corsage on his behalf. The pair were seen embracing in an emotional video shared on Instagram on Sunday, April 27. In the video, Neil tearfully hugs her late son's prom date's family, eventually handing the corsage to an equally tearful Reyaa.
Reyaa additionally honored Etienne at prom by wearing his photo in the middle of her bespoke dress, a tribute which also brought his mom to tears.
The video is receiving love online for its depiction of the legacy of community that the young Etienne left behind him. It was shared to an Instagram account called @justice_4justin, which appears to be run by one of Etienne's family members. The caption read, "My heart goes out to all the moms and families mourning loved ones lost🙏 Justin's mom went to see his prom date off to prom and to give her the corsage he got for her🥺🕊️💕‼️💔."
Reyaa wore an intricate light pink asymetrical gown, designed by her uncle Kyle Robertson, featuring a train and adorned her hair in bejeweled pins.
Sharing a photo of the dress on Instagram, Reyaa wrote, "A Night I'll Never Forget With a Person I'll Always Remember💔🕊️#LLJUSTIN #Prom2025 Thank you to everyone who was apart of making the moment so memorable! And thank you for the encouragement and push to follow through with this for Justin. The world knows his name and that warms my heart!!"
She added, "Forever grateful for all of you!! And Justin, mann we DEFINITELY showed out in our rose gold! I miss you so much man so much, but I know you were with me🥹!! #llj🕊❤️ #forever18 #justinetienne."
Neil told Fox 5 at the time of Etienne's death, "My son had plans. He was planning on graduating, going to college, an all that token from him. When y'all killed my son, you killed a part of me."
On March 21, the Newton County Sheriff's Office (NCSO) identified the suspect as Jarvis Hinton Jr. of Covington, Georgia. Hinton Jr., 16, is facing multiple charges, including murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18 and reckless conduct.
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'He had such a bright future. He had so many plans. I already know he was going to be good. His attitude said it all,' said Etienne's father, Hugh Neil, in an interview with Atlanta News First. The late high school student was accepted to Georgia State University, but was interested in attending Kennesaw State University.
Hinton Jr. is currently being held at Newton County Detention Center. The NCSO told PEOPLE that there is no court date on file for him at this time.
Read the original article on People
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