A TikTok star's son was shot dead the day before his 19th birthday and she is now calling on her followers to help find his killer.
Ophelia Nichols - who goes by the handle @shoelover99 - shared a video on the social media platform on June 27 to announce the devastating news of her son's death.
"Today would have been my baby child’s 19th birthday, but he [was taken] from me last night. Took from my children and my husband and our family," Nichols said in the video to her over seven million followers. "My son was murdered. He was shot."
According to the New York Post, Nichols’ son, Randon Lee, was fatally shot at a gas station on Friday night in Prichard, Alabama. The investigation is reportedly still ongoing, no arrests have been made, and the motive behind the murder is unknown at this time.
Watch Nichols' video below:The mother's TikTok account is usually dedicated to videos of her family, responding to questions from her followers, or updating her fans with new cooking recipes.
In a video that has garnered 19.3 million views and 3.8 million likes as of this writing, Nichols said: "I ain’t never asked y’all for anything, but I need your help with this," adding, "there [are] almost 7 million people that follow me. Somebody’s got to know something".
The mother who is deeply heartbroken and angered by her son's death said she now feels a "hatred in [her] heart" that she doesn’t "recognize cause I have never felt hate for anyone".
She then wrote in a text overlay: "I will not stop until my son's murderer is found and prosecuted."
Speaking through her tears, she continued: "I know they're out there in my town, they're out there living and breathing when my son's dead. He was just 18 years old. That's the best part of somebody's life, and I know they're out there in my town"
Nichols then directly addressed her son's killer and held up a photo of her son, saying: "I want you to look at my son... this is my son, and you took him from me."
In an emotional plea, she then concluded in her video, saying that "somebody" knows who murdered her son and asked for her followers' help in finding his killer.
Nichols later commented on her video after it received an overwhelming amount of support, writing: "Just been told we have a lead on [two] individuals. I hope they see this video & know what they have done to my family."
Anyone with information relevant to Randon Lee's murder is urged to contact the Prichard Police Department by calling them at 251-452-7800 or Mobile County Sheriff's Office at 251-574-8633.
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