Beside the road at the entrance of Jack Brooks Park in Hitchcock, a small memorial grows as a family grieves.
“I did not get a chance to tell my son goodbye or even that I loved him one last time,” said the victim’s father Bobby Gilpin.
17-year-old Cody Gilpin was shot and killed here last week.
A police officer patrolling the park found his body not far away from his bike on Tuesday.
So far though, no suspects or even a motive in the case.
“Whenever I pulled up and they had pretty much confirmed that was our son. I felt like a cinder block at the bottom of my gut,” said Bobby Gilpin.
Her sister Amber Gilpin was also shocked.
“I couldn’t even explain to you what was going through my mind. It was just so sad and so hard to accept that,” she said.
The loss for his family and Cody’s friends has been unbearable.
They now often gather by his memorial to support one another and remember him.
“He was a fun-loving kid. He was so adventurous and always wanted to do new things and learn new things,” Amber said.
“It’s a tremendous loss. It’s a heart sank thing. For one, he’s 17 years old. He had his whole life ahead of them,” said Bobby.
As they cherish the memories of a life cut short, they also pray the person responsible is caught soon.
“It’s very frustrating, very frustrating to not have any answers and that he was out here alone,” said Amber.
“We’re asking you to do the right thing and turn yourself in,” said Bobby.
The family said they are offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office or the Hitchcock Police Department.
The family said they are also planning a motorcycle ride and benefit in honor of Cody next month.