Memorial held for NC State grad shot, killed near campus
Friday marked one week since a recent NC State graduate was shot and killed in a Food Lion parking lot near campus.
Friends close to 22-year-old Cody McLaggan gathered on campus at NC State Saturday to honor his life.
The motive behind the shooting is still unclear, making the tragic loss of McLaggan hard to process for friends and family.
Justin Rodgers said he was "tore up" when his roommates told him McLaggan was shot and killed.
"He’s the last person who would have ever deserved this," said Rodgers. "It's still is tearing me up."
Rodgers stumbled upon captivating images sprayed painted in the Free Expression Tunnel and reached out to the artist to create a mural in McLaggan’s honor.
Alan Yeh, a fellow NC State student, accepted without hesitation.
"It’s been an honor, really. To be able to do something to commemorate his life and celebrate the life that he lived," said Yeh. "They told me that he listened to a lot of reggae. His family came from Jamaica, so I tried to incorporate those colors and themes into the mural to kind of show who he was as a person."
And to keep his memory alive.
"I just really want people to know how good of a guy Cody was because he really was an amazing person," said Rodgers.
The mural of McLaggen was unveiled at the vigil and candles were lit in front of it.
People also talked about the kind of person he was.
“He’s one of the most genuine kind-hearted people I’ve met in my whole life. He’s the type of guy that will be anyone’s friend and would do his best to be there for anyone who needed him," said Rodgers. "That’s why he was special to a lot of us."
The Suspect made a court appearance earlier this week and is due in court next month.
