Deborah McNair-Bennett never thought she would get a phone call saying her cousin, Anthony Liddell,19, was shot dead at Coastal Carolina University.
Liddell was shot at the University Place Housing Complex, Tuesday evening.
"He was an awesome, awesome cousin. I mean, I had no problems out of him. No problems, he was very respectful, well rounded student and and an awesome, awesome child," said Bennett.
Bennett says the family can't understand why someone wanted Liddell dead.
"God have mercy on whoever would do something like that," Bennett said. "Because that's a shame to take out someone that was that young and had a life to just - to for - you don't know what the reason is. The question is why? Why would you do something like that? No one bothered you. Why would you hate on someone that is smart and intelligent and is trying to make something for himself?"
Liddell grew up in the Bennettsville community of Marlboro County.
He played for the Marlboro County High School Bulldogs Football Team during the 2010/2011 season.
He played backup wide receiver and defensive back.
Liddell graduated from the school in 2011.
His former coach, Dean Boyd, says he was very involved in many school activities.
"He was a great young man. He was involved in teacher cadet. He was in the Interact club. He was on the Relay for Life team here at the school and just the ultimate team player. Very selfless type person. He only cared about other people," said Boyd.
Boyd considered Liddell to be a role model for other students because of his values and morals.
"He was a good not only role model for our young kids, but he was a good role model for our kids on our team because they were able to see that you don't see that a lot. They were able to see a young man doing the right thing, being where he's supposed to be and being a contributor to our team. Like I say, he played a lot of special teams and he was more of a back up type of player, but his role for our team was probably more important than what he did for our team," explained Boyd.
It breaks his heart to know the community has lost such a great young man in Liddell.
"He would have been a great leader in this community," Boyd said, "and you know, it just, you get a knot in your stomach and you believe something like this could have happened to such a good young person."
Bennett says her cousin was the light of the family, and he adored his mother.
She was his only child.
Sheila Gillespie posted the following status update to her Facebook account Wednesday morning.
"I never imagined in a trillion years that I would be planning my 19-year-old son's funeral. I am ever so grateful to God for the years that he gave me with my wonderful child and for placing wonderful, praying and caring people in my life at a time when I needed them most. Thank you everyone for all your prayers," wrote Sheila Gillespie.
Bennett says the family is in pain, but they will get through it together.
Funeral arrangements for Liddell are incomplete at this time.
