HAMMOND - Dereon Reed, 13, was shot and killed by another teenager on Saturday. Her death was a shock to the small village of Tickfaw.

"She was growing up, her personality was coming in more and more so we were getting to see who Dereon was becoming, and she was just taken away far too soon," Dereon's cousin Marquelle Gordon said.

Investigators from the Hammond Police Department say a 14-year-old was handling a weapon that went off by accident, killing Reed. Friends, family, and classmates of Reed came together to remember her with a balloon release on Wednesday.

"It was an accident, you know? Accidents happen, but at the same time guns are not to be played with, so we're trying to get the message through to the youth," Gordon said. 

This is the third death of at this small school in Tangipahoa Parish this year. In April, two brothers drowned in a neighborhood pond.

All three children attended Lucille Nesom Memorial School in Tickfaw. Monday, the school shared a post offering the support of counselors and social workers on campus to help students deal with the loss of their friends when school returns.

"God does everything for a reason. Our days are numbered," Gordon said.

Gordon said it was comforting to see everyone come together and honor their loved one.

"It makes me happy and warm inside that everyone was able to get together and come and honor Dereon," Gordon said.