LAFAYETTE, La. — Daniel Montgomery, the father of 15-year-old Tameron Willis, is speaking publicly about his son’s tragic death, just two days after he was fatally shot in Lafayette. The shooting occurred on the 200 block of Arthur Street on Saturday night, where police arrived to find Willis dead at the scene.
According to authorities, they received a call around 7:00 p.m. regarding shots fired. When officers arrived, they found Willis, a student at Lafayette High School, with fatal gunshot wounds. Montgomery, deeply shaken by the loss, expressed his sorrow and disbelief.
“I would have rather seen me go than him go, because you never want to bury your child,” Montgomery said, struggling to find the right words in the aftermath of his son’s death. “I would have rather took that bullet for him any day.”
Just hours before the incident, Montgomery spoke to his son, who told him he was walking back home on Arthur Street. Montgomery believes Tameron was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to get home before his 8:00 p.m. curfew. When he tried calling his son after realizing he was late, his calls went unanswered.
“That’s when my heart started pounding,” Montgomery recalled.
Despite the immense grief, Montgomery said he finds comfort in the memories of the moments he shared with his son. Tameron, who had dreams of becoming a truck driver, was looking forward to his future. Montgomery shared that just two weeks ago, he had encouraged his son to start learning to drive. “I said, ‘Why won’t you start learning how to drive, let me put you in driver’s ed,’” Montgomery recalled. “He said that’s too expensive, I said, ‘Go in so you could drive me around.’”
In his emotional plea, Montgomery also called for those involved in the shooting to come forward. “Y’all need to come forward, you took an innocent boy’s life,” he said. “Gun violence is real out here, and you know, they need to pay attention to that.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to assist with funeral expenses for Tameron Willis. Anyone with information regarding the shooting is urged to contact the Lafayette Police Department.
The community remains shaken by the senseless act of violence, as Tameron’s family and friends process the loss of a young life with so much promise.