Students and community members met Friday at the Malcolm X Lounge for a candlelight vigil in honor of fellow student Eric Whitaker, who was shot and killed on May 27.

A KAAB Fox San Antonio story reports that police said Whitaker was with friends at an apartment complex off Hausman Road May 27 when he took off running unexpectedly. Friends told police that Whitaker was acting strange and started banging on the door of Keith and Barbara Harp.

According to police, the Harp’s thought Whitaker was trying to break into the home. Keith Harp shot Whitaker in the chest and he later died at University Hospital in San Antonio.

The vigil was organized by government and ethnic studies junior Cortney Sander after she learned of Whitaker’s death.

“He was an actual Longhorn here… we [African-American students] are only five percent at this university. We should support each other more, love each other more,” Sanders said.

A handout was provided at the vigil listing dozens of Whitaker’s tweets from the days prior to his death. Many of the tweets had religious themes and quotes from the Bible.

One of Whitaker’s last tweets on May 26 was, “I just want the world to know how good God is, so we all can see THE PROMISE LAND!”

Sanders believes that the memorial was a time to remember Whitaker and unite as a black community instead of questioning what happened because it is impossible to ever know what actually happened the day of Whitaker’s death.

Sanders, along with Whitaker’s close friend, Kammrun Hebert, believe that there is more to the situation that what the news is reporting.

Hebert said that Whitaker was elated about just getting back into UT and he would never take part in a home invasion.

“He talked so much against that kind of stuff. He just wouldn’t do that,” said Hebert.

Nakeenya Haynes, undergraduate adviser for the African and African American Diaspora Studies Department, was in attendance to show staff support for all of the students affected by Whitaker’s unexpected death and encourage students to maintain connections between each other.

“We lost a black scholar…He started this journey just like you, but he will not end this journey with you,” said Haynes.