TAMPA, Fla. — The father of the 14-year-old boy killed in last weekend’s Ybor City shootings spoke Friday with Spectrum Bay News 9.

What You Need To Know

Elijah Wilson was one of two people killed in the Sunday shootings that broke out after a dispute between two groups. More than a dozen people were injured.

Wilson’s father, Emmitt Wilson, talked about how his son ended up in the deadly situation.

“He’s a child,” Wilson said. “He was my baby.”

His football trophies and pictures of him as a young boy are about all his family can hold on to right now as they recount the hours before the shooting.

Elijah Wilson (Photo provided by family)

“The day this happened, I left — I wasn’t home and some friends called him to hang out,” Emmitt Wilson said. “By me not being here, my son left the house. He normally (would) be in the house and this day he left the house and he left us."

Investigators say they found a concealed loaded gun on the 14-year-old after he was shot and killed. Spectrum News asked his father where he got the gun.

“From his friends. Not from his father. The people he’s around,” Wilson said. “I would never put a gun in my son’s hand. It’s the people he’s around — and I told him about these type of people.”

Authorities said the boy didn’t have the gun in his hands when he was shot and killed. Tyrell Phillips, 22, is charged in his death.

Elijah’s cousin, Keaira Grooms, said the details of his death highlight an even bigger problem.

“I feel we need more resources in the household," she said. "If he’s telling you he’s a single parent, yeah I can tell Elijah not to leave, but Elijah, let’s do what? Sit on the couch? Fourteen years old in this area, in this generation? We have to have some type of resources."

Elijah’s father says regardless of what his son did wrong that night, he didn’t do anything to amount to losing his life. Even in his grief he says there is one thing that brings him comfort.

“We had our differences but Elijah knew I loved him regardless,” the father said. “I just wanted my son to do better. Stop hanging around those type of guys he was hanging around.”