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Hundreds attend vigil for slain Mechanicsville student

Posted at 1:09 AM, Jan 24, 2012
and last updated 2012-01-25 07:21:32-05

MECHANICSVILLE, Va. (WTVR) - A vigil for Brett Wells, 16, attracted hundreds of mourners to New Song United Methodist Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia Monday night. The church opened two overflow rooms to accommodate friends and family of the Atlee High School student.

Wells was shot and killed at his Mechanicsville home Saturday night. Hanover Sheriff's deputies arrested three teenagers for the crime. Investigators said Wells was shot over marijuana the suspects intended to steal from him.

"I think about him every day," Brett's mother Shannon Wells told mourners during Monday's service. "I can't sleep, I can't eat, I don't know what to do without him."

In an earlier interview with CBS 6 reporter Catie Beck, Wells said she left her son and his friends at home to go out to eat Saturday night. She returned home to patrol cars at her house.

Wells said her son was a good student at Atlee High School who planned to study graphic art at Virginia Commonwealth University upon graduation.

She said she was surprised to learn that drugs may have played a role in her son's death.

"I thought I was a good Mom for raising Brett the right way. But sometimes parents don't know what your kids are doing," Wells said to mourners at the vigil.

Wells said shooting suspect Kevin Drayton is the connection to her son. She said Drayton had been to the family's home to work out with Brett.

A second teenager, Aaron Evans, was also shot in the home Saturday night. He was shot in the hand, but administered CPR to Wells before paramedics arrived. Evans, who is expected to make a full recovery, spoke at Monday's vigil.