PALM COAST, Fla. – The girlfriend of a teenage boy who was fatally shot in Palm Coast detailed the horrific night when he was killed.
Meadow Willis was with Elijah Rizvan, 17, on Friday evening when deputies said he was shot and killed by 16-year-old Benjamin Allen, who is charged with first-degree murder in Rizvan's death.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Rizvan and Allen planned a deal for Rizvan to sell Allen $120 worth of marijuana. That deal was set up on Snapchat. But investigators said Allen planned to rob Rizvan and when he showed up, he ended up fatally shooting Rizvan.
Willis, 19, told News4Jax that when her boyfriend was shot, "he screamed my name."
"I ran over to him and he said, 'Meadow, I think I’m going to die.' I said, 'Elijah, Look at me.' And he looked at me in the eyes and said, 'I love you,'" Willis said. "He stopped breathing. I tried to give him CPR and it wasn’t working."
The shooting happened in front of the home of Willis' grandparents. Investigators said Allen and three other passengers pulled up in front of the home for the deal when things turned violent.
Willis said she was wearing some of Rizvan's clothes Friday before he was killed and she hasn't taken them off.
"I keep ... crying when I wake up because I keep thinking he’s going to text me or he’s going to be there," Willis said. "He had such a kind soul. He treated me the best. I can’t even explain how much I love him."
News4Jax also spoke with Willis' grandfather, who said he has lived in the home since the 1980s and never seen any crime or violence in the neighborhood.
The Sheriff's Office said a dozen detectives started investigating shortly after the killing and also used Snapchat to track down a witness, helping them develop helped them develop a case against Allen.
News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said law enforcement often turns to social media during investigations.
"Law enforcement tries to stay a step ahead of the criminals. They know what their methods are. They know that they use social media," Jefferson said. "So, of course, they’re going to use the methods the bad guys use."
A GoFundMe page had been set up to help Rizvan's family.