Grandfather Of Teen Killed At Choctaw Football Game Writes Song To Honor Him

The grandfather of Cordea Carter, the teen who was shot and killed during the Choctaw Del City Football game last Friday, has made something special to honor him. It also has a strong message about gun violence.

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3. ‘It Hit Me Like A Ton Of Bricks’: Choctaw Shooting Victim’s Former Teacher Speaks

John Caldwell has spent hours inside the Blokcmade Recording Studio in Oklahoma City, trying to deal with the loss of his grandson, 16-year-old Cordea Carter.

“That's where I took my frustration out,” said Caldwell. “It's been tough, it really has been.”

Cordea died Friday night when a fight led to a shooting during the Del City, Choctaw football game.

“I mean it's like it just begun, that's driver’s license time, other things, I’m just really down about it,” he said.

But through his grief, he has found some relief by writing a song in Cordea’s honor with a strong message.

“I just felt like I needed to do something, I want to say something,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure what I was saying was going to ring a bell somewhere and I said they need to put these guns down because if they put them down now, they can be around.”

The lyrics read, in part: “Put the guns down, forever 16, Cordea Carter, that's how long I'm gonna love you, forever. Put them guns down, so you can be around, put them guns down.”

Caldwell said it’s a song he hopes will resonate with the youth.

“I just feel like they don't understand the difference between, yeah you might have had a disagreement but it don't have to be a death certificate with it, because two people die with this. One loses his life going to prison and the other one is, it hurts everybody,” he said.

If you would like to hear the song in its entirety, click here.

If you would like to help the family by donating, click here.