LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Gathered together in droves at Jefferson Square Park, shouting "justice for TJ," friends and family of the late vet tech demanded the person who shot him be indicted.
TJ Taylor, 21, was shot and killed while working a shift at the Shively Animal Clinic on Mother's Day.
"I'm so thankful that God allowed me to say goodbye to my grandson. I didn't even know I was saying goodbye," Melissa Jackson, Taylor's grandmother, said. "My grandson came with flowers, and I got to kiss him and I got to say 'I love you TJ.' and I got to hear one last time, 'I love you too.'"
Taylor was an expecting father, with a baby due in four months.
"We went from planning a baby shower to planning a funeral, on Mother's Day," Jackson said.
"[He was] just an amazing person all around. I think everyone should have gotten the chance to know TJ," friend Mason Stone said. "He was one of a kind. Not only was a friend taken but a father, a son and a brother were taken off this planet. And there needs to be justice."
Shively Police responded to the incident on Mother's Day but made no arrests, saying the incident could have been self-defense.
Taylor's family disagreed, saying TJ would never hurt anyone.
Ultimately, the decision to file charges in this case now falls on the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney.
As of Sunday, it said it has no updates, sharing the following statement with WHAS11:
As previously stated I can confirm that our office has received the case from the Shively Police Department, and it is assigned to a prosecutor to get the through review it deserves. There is no timeline for that process and will be completed when all the available information is reviewed.
Because this case is open and there is nothing in public record our ethics rules prohibit us from publicly commenting.
Shively Police handed the case over to the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney five days into the investigation.
A spokesperson for the office said it will make a public announcement whenever a decision is made.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.