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In the hours after the shooting, demonstrators gathered around the convenience store chanting “Black Lives Matter” and “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot”. The rally of demonstrators grew so large, they blocked the intersection near the convenience store. They plan to gather again this morning at 8am, this time in front of City Hall.
Alton’s family say he’s sold CDs in front of that the convenience store for years. The store’s owner called Alton a friend. Alton was known as the “CD man”. His customers and family set up a memorial in front of the store, complete with pictures of Alton and CDs he’s made and sold to them.
Alton’s cousin backs up the store owner’s clams, adding Alton would’ve been “too scared” to pull his gun on police, even while being attacked:
“He would have never fought the police, he wouldn’t have pulled a gun, he would have been too scared”, says Sharida Sterling, Alton’s cousin.
“I really wanna know more about what happened, about the whole situation, because my brother didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve it at all”, says Alton’s sister Mignon Chambers.
Alton had reportedly been living at Living Waters Outreach Ministries in recent months, a shelter in Baton Rouge, where he worked as a cook. The shelter, says resident Calvin Wilson, is a place that helps people get back on their feet after rough times.
Cameron Sterling, Alton’s Sterling’s 15-year-old son, broke into tears at a news conference as his mother spoke. See Alton’s son, Cameron Sterling, and his mom speak out on the NEXT PAGE.