GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — As police continue to investigate a deadly shooting on the Fourth of July in Grand Rapids, loved ones are remembering him as a loving father who leaves behind two children.
Authorities say 30-year-old Christopher Byrom was shot and killed during a fireworks celebration near the intersection of Sycamore Street and Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.
The medical examiner has ruled Byrom's death as a homicide while detectives work to figure out if the gunfire was celebratory or targeted.
Jada Byrom is the cousin of Christopher but says they were so close they were basically siblings.
"Chris was an amazing man," Jada said. "I watched him raise his kids, I saw the light in his eyes every single time he looked at both of them."
Jada says Christopher was at a 4th of July celebration with family, his brothers, his mom, his nieces and nephews and it was supposed to be a fun event for everyone.
"He's never going to be able to see his daughter walked down the aisle, he's never going to be able to teach his son how to fish and how to ride a bike and Emery and CJ both deserve that from their father, and they can no longer get it," Jada told 13 ON YOUR SIDE.
Police say there were dozens of people, including children on the street where it happened.
No arrests have been made according to Grand Rapids Police.
Jada is asking anyone with information to come forward.
"My family deserves nothing but justice," she said. "Christopher is not just another man who was killed on the streets of Grand Rapids, he was a son, a brother, an uncle."
A GoFundMe page has been set up for ongoing family support.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Grand Rapids Police Department or Silent Observer. Detectives can be reached at (616) 456-3380 or tips can be sent anonymously through Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.