Merv Smith, 21, had only been back in Brooklyn for six weeks when he was killed in a March shooting that police describe as "vicious."

"He was a caring person. He would take the shirt off his back. He loved his family, he loved his friends, he loved being there for people," said Smith’s mother, Quanisha Lucas, from her home in Georgia.

Smith, originally from Brooklyn, had moved to Georgia with his family in 2018. On March 28, Smith was fatally shot in New York City.

Christopher Ferguson, 21, was identified as the suspect in Smith’s death. Police say video evidence tied Ferguson to the shooting, and he had been evading authorities for months.

Last Thursday, Ferguson was killed by police following a chase through Brooklyn streets.

According to the NYPD, Ferguson pointed a gun at officers, prompting them to open fire. Police recovered a firearm with an illegal extended magazine at the scene.