Texas mom outraged after son's alleged killer posts $5K of bond before funeral: 'It's just not fair'

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A grieving Texas mother whose 19-year-old son who was shot to death just blocks away from home says she is outraged to learn that the alleged gunman was released after paying $5,000 just four days after the shooting – before the family of the slain teen was even able to hold a funeral service. 

Patrick Lewis was "fresh out of high school, beginning his life working at Amazon just trying to find his way," his mother, Shayona Lewis, told Fox 26 Houston. But his life was cut short when Harris County Constable deputies say the teen was shot while inside his car. The alleged shooter, 17-year-old Alijah Williams, was taken into custody at the scene and has since been charged with murder. 

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His bond was set at $50,000, and Williams was released after posting just 10% of that amount -- $5,000. 

"You are never supposed to bury your child," Shayona Lewis told Fox 26. "$5,000 -- that’s all he had to pay to get out after I lost my son. He’s in the vicinity of my neighborhood, and you have calls saying they’ve seen him at McDonald’s. That’s something my son will never do again, so it’s disturbing."

Shayona described how she and her fiancé tried calling Patrick last Friday – but their calls went to voicemail, and panic struck the mother when she learned there had been a shooting blocks away. 

"One was deceased and one was being taken into custody," Shayona Lewis said. "Either way it was heartbreaking because I wasn’t sure which one was my son."

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"My kids at a young age used to ask me, ‘Do you ever cry’? I’m like, ‘of course’ -- I was just always strong for them," the mother said, describing how she’s since been taken over by grief in learning her son’s alleged killer is free on bond. "But this is important because it’s just not fair."