CLEVELAND — The family of 56-year-old Antoine Latham says they are in pain after the ride-share driver was killed while working the night of Feb. 8.
“There’s been a lot of emotions, sadness, grief, hurt and pain. You never think of someone's life ending like his did, it's heart-wrenching,” said Latham’s father, Canoles Hutson.
Hutson said Latham was only working for Lyft for the last four months, picking up extra income while still working his job transporting disabled children.
“My son was a character, he was well loved, and he loved others. He loved to do things for others, very helpful, very hard working and a pleasure to be around,” said Hutson.
A few days after the shooting, police arrested 20-year-old Derrek Dove. Dove was charged with aggravated murder, a first-degree felony. Police said he shot Latham while robbing him of his cell phone.
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“It was senseless killing over a phone. It does not really make any sense to do something like that to someone who was just working,” said Hutson.
To cope with his loss, the family has been focusing on good memories.
“Me and my father always laughed together, we could laugh about anything,” said Latham’s daughter, Kashawna Hill.
“He always tried to walk the right path, he always tried to help people, he's helped me get many jobs and taught me how to keep God first,” said Hill.
Before her father’s passing, Hill says they weren’t on good terms, something Hill is having a hard time accepting.
“I was working on what it means to forgive and now I will never be able to sit with him and have that conversation to help us get back to where we were,” said Hill.
And now the family is working to forgive the suspected killer.
I really feel sorry for the young man and his family, because not only are we going through it, but they're going through it, too. They are also losing a son, just in a different way. I'm a forgiving person, and maybe as weird as that might sound to some people, the Lord does require us to forgive. I’m not saying it’s easy, but in my heart, I know it’s the right thing to do,” said Hutson.
Hill says she wants to use this opportunity to remind people of the importance of forgiveness.
“If anybody has someone they know they need to forgive, forgive them before you run out of time. Because now I'm feeling like I lost that time, but when he was here thought I had time," she said.
Latham was the first of two Lyft drivers who were shot and killed last week within 27 hours of each other.
The second driver, 27-year-old Vasyl Shvets of Parma, crashed into a dumpster after suffering a gunshot wound early Tuesday morning on East 84th Street.
RELATED: 'Why?': Friends seek answers in 27-year-old Lyft driver’s killing
Cleveland police say they do not believe the incidents are related.
If you would like to support Latham’s family, you can click here.
