Mother, family and friends march to 'Stop the Violence' after Sikeston man’s shooting death

SIKESTON, Mo. — Laurie Mitchell said she refuses to let her son’s death be one people forget.

After hearing gunshots on the night of Feb. 18, Mitchell went out to look for her son, 24-year-old Marcus Dixon Jr., who she said should have already made it home.

Eventually, she saw something in a street close to their Sikeston home and recognized the shoes of her son.

“I knew it was him. I knew it was my son,” Mitchell said.

Her son had already passed, after being shot seven times, when she had found him, she said.

Ajaevia Mitchell, 12, left, and Unique Mitchell, 10, both of Sikeston, Missouri, and cousins of the late Marcus Dixon Jr., prepare to take part in a "Stop the Violence" march during the Sikeston American Legion Cotton Carnival parade Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Sikeston.Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian

On Saturday, Mitchell and other family and friends of Dixon marched as part of a “Stop the Violence” march in the Sikeston American Legion Cotton Carnival parade in Sikeston.

The mother wore a shirt displaying the words: “Marcus your wings were ready but our hearts were not.”

Mitchell said they are trying to “get people to put these guns down.”

“It has to stop,” Mitchell said. “I feel like I have to be the one to step up and make a change and make a difference.”

Laurie Mitchell, mother of the late Marcus Dixon Jr., takes part in a "Stop the Violence" march during the Sikeston American Legion Cotton Carnival parade Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Sikeston. Mitchell said she found her son dead on a street a short distance from their Sikeston home after he was shot seven times on the night of Feb. 18.Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian

Mitchell also organized a “Stop the Violence” awareness event in July in Sikeston and said she will be holding the event annually.

The mother said her son was loving and smiling all the time. She said he would “do anything for anybody.”

“Lovable. Just a lovable person,” Mitchell said.

She recalled times when she and her son, always with a smile, would sit on their porch.

“He always had something goofy to say. He was a goofy kid,” she said with a laugh.

From left: Ciera Mitchell, Tyeshia Mitchell, Christen Flenoid and Dionne Allen take part in a "Stop the Violence" march during the Sikeston American Legion Cotton Carnival parade Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Sikeston. The four were marching after the February shooting death of Marcus Dixon Jr. They are Dixon's cousin, sister, aunt and fiancée/mother of his children respectively.Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian

Tyeshia Mitchell of Sikeston, one of Dixon’s sister, said her brother was “like a teddy bear.”

“I feel like he was a people person,” Tyeshia said.

Laurie said her son hoped to see his sister one day play basketball on television in the WNBA. Tyeshia plays basketball at Mineral Area College.

She said this isn’t Tyeshia’s first experience with gun violence. Tyeshia had another brother, Tyrell Banks, who was killed in 2014.

Jabari Mitchell, 7, of Sikeston, Missouri, cousin of the late Marcus Dixon Jr., takes part in a "Stop the Violence" march during the Sikeston American Legion Cotton Carnival parade Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Sikeston.Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian

Tyshonne Williams of Sikeston said Dixon was “like a big brother.”

“He inspired me a lot,” Williams said. “Marcus was a real good, loving dude.”

“Every night I think about it,” Williams said. “Just seeing a person every day and then next day you don’t even get to see them at all. It’s crazy.”

Williams has a picture of Dixon on his watch.

“Every time I look at my watch, it’s Marcus time,” Williams said.