Funeral services held for high school basketball player fatally shot in Paterson drive-by

PATERSON, N.J. (WABC) -- A promising New Jersey high school basketball player who was killed in a drive-by shooting earlier this month has been laid to rest.

The family of Armoni Sexton arrived in a long line of limousines for the service to say goodbye to a teenager gunned down on a Paterson street corner as he was heading home to beat his 9 o'clock curfew.

Sexton's mother led the line of family members into the Christian fellowship center followed by hundreds who turned out Monday to pay their last respects.

"He just meant everything to me, I can't believe he's gone," said Niashia Dawson, a friend.

For many of the teenagers, the day was filled with emotions. Armoni was seen by many as a future basketball star.

So many shirts and tributes were focused on his love of sports. His football coach brought a jersey Armoni wore to present as a gift to the family.

"He always liked to play, he was always about his mom, he was always about sports, whether it was football, basketball, you know, he always wanted to prove people wrong and come back and give back to Paterson when he made it. Because in his eyes, he was going to make it," said Jason Paterson, Athletic Director.

Armoni attended a Paterson charter school and his teammates stood together to show their love and respect.

"He was like a best friend, he was my brother, his mother is like my mother, and I treat him like a brother and he'll always be in my heart," said Dazmin Staton, Sexton's teammate.

"He always had people laughing and cheering and now with him gone it's just like a vacancy, it's a quiet sadness all over school," said Richard Warren, Sexton's teammate.

Armoni's death is being used as a lesson in Paterson schools to stop the violence.

"We teach kids to care for thy neighbor, to care for one another, to have care and concern and the power of giving versus the power of receiving," said Zatiti Moody, Eastside High School Principal.

Two Paterson men have been charged in the case.

Twenty-year-old Hasmeek Coles faces single counts of murder and receiving stolen property and three counts of attempted murder in the shooting, while 20-year old Gregory Oliver faces charges of murder, attempted murder and weapons possession.

Gregory Oliver:

Oliver's lawyer, attorney Harley Breite, said his client was shot in the right arm on the same day in a separate drive-by shooting in Paterson.

Sexton was shot outside of a liquor store at the intersection of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Godwin Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. His mom said he was heading home because he had a 9 p.m. curfew.

"Where we live, it's reality," his mother Lawanda said. "No one wants to get the phone call or, oh, you're child has been killed, but it's the reality."

Armoni had dreamed of playing in the NBA.