Family and friends of a Sacramento man killed in a midtown shooting remembered him on Sunday.

Colby Tevis was celebrating his twin-sister's birthday when he was shot and killed on J Street one year ago. His family is calling for justice and an end to gun violence.

"I just want to say Colby was a great guy," said Jamie Tevis-Littlejohn, Colby's aunt. "He didn't deserve this, to be gone."

A gathering to grieve the memory of a life lost too soon.

"We are still keeping his memory alive," Tevis-Littlejohn said. 

Tevis was 22 years old when he was shot and killed on J Street. He was one of five people shot and killed in sacramento that summer weekend, including a 12-year-old boy, prompting an alert from then-mayor Darryl Steinberg on the need to collaborate between the city, county and school districts to tackle violence head-on.

"We're in the early proceedings of the court proceedings," Tevis-Littlejohn said. 

A suspect in Tevis' murder was arrested 29 days after the shooting, and the family has been watching the slow hands of justice at work.

So far this year, there have been 104 people shot in Sacramento through August. In 2024, there were 133 gunshot victims all year, down from 163 the year before.

For the families of those killed, the pain continues.

"It's hard for me," Tevis-Littlejohn said. "I miss him every single day, and going through counseling, but we stick together as a family. We love each other. And that's what we're trying to do throughout this process."

San Jose State honored Colby Tevis with a posthumous degree. Inderkum High School now offers a scholarship in his name.