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Emotional crowd celebrates lives of murdered college students

7 years 11 months 2 weeks ago Wednesday, April 13 2016 Apr 13, 2016 April 13, 2016 9:19 AM April 13, 2016 in News
Source: WBRZ
By: Brett Buffington & Hunter Robinson

BATON ROUGE - It was standing room only Tuesday night at an emotional vigil to honor two Southern University students shot and killed over the weekend. The theme of the ceremony: Coming together.

Pictures of Annette January and Lashuntae Benton sat in the front of the ballroom in the Southern University Student Union at the vigil to remember two teens caught in the crossfire at a Baton Rouge apartment complex.

Among the packed crowd, Annette January's mom, humbled to hear inspirational words about her daughter.

'It was awesome," Dawn January says. "Everything was so beautiful. It was a great feeling to know she touched so many lives the way she did."

The mother had a passionate plea among the message of unity and remarks of remembrance Tuesday night.

"Let's stop the violence; put the guns down," she urges. "Let's try to work out our difference in a manner that is pleasing to others and to God."

Tuesday's vigil will be followed by a march Wednesday from the campus circle to the Student Union at Southern. That begins at 11 a.m.

Benton and January were caught in the crossfire when police say two people opened fire at The Cottages apartment complex near the LSU campus. So far, no one has been charged in their deaths. Ernest Felton is charged with attempted murder, since police say he shot another person at the scene. That man is still recovering.

Ballistics tests are being done to determine whose bullets hit the women.

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