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"He was the brother I never had," Friend remembers 17-year-old shot and killed

It's hard for Kayla Kelley to even talk. A friend who's felt like a brother was taken from her on Sunday night.

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Friends are now speaking after a teenager was shot and killed over the weekend in Columbia.

It's hard for Kayla Kelley to even talk. A friend who's felt like a brother was taken from her on Sunday night.

"He was the brother I never had. He was younger than me but he helped me more than he realized. When I needed someone, he was always there," said Kelley.

According to officials, 17-year-old Codath Robert Presher, known as Cody by his friends and family, was shot and killed at an apartment off of Deerwood Street in the Rosewood area.

Three bullet holes through the door is a painful reminder of what's gone.

"I see a lot of things. I see me pulling up and coming to get him and going to leave and go have fun and do whatever we do. And then I see sadness where his life was taken from us,” explained Kelley.

The Richland County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident. No one has been arrested at this time.

Kelley says he was just getting started on his dream of going to college to become a welder. She'll miss his personality the most.

"His laugh. His smile. I'm just going to miss everything but he's still here. He's not just going to be a memory or someone I can forget. He's always going to be here with me. Not physically but spiritually," said Kelley.

She's hoping someone can come forward and bring justice after losing one of the closest people in her life.

"I just want Cody to know that we love him very much. I hope that anybody who knows anything will have the courage to call so I can have closure. So I can cope and not have restless nights wondering what happened," said Kelley.

Deputies are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact Crimestoppers anonymously in any of the following ways:

Callers will remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

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