TikTok star in Alabama grieving after son killed night before his birthday

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA/Gray News) - An Alabama mother and TikTok influencer is pleading for answers after her son was shot and killed Friday night in Prichard, Alabama, WALA reported.

“I have this hatred in my heart that I don’t recognize,” Ophelia Nichols said in a video. “Because I’ve never felt hate for anybody.”

Nichols runs a TikTok account under the name “shoelover99″ with 7 million followers.

“I have never asked y’all for anything, but I need your help with this,” she said. “He was just 18 years old. That’s the best part of somebody’s life, and I know they’re out there in my town. They’re out there.”

Randon Lee was shot at the Exxon on St. Stephens Road. He then drove across the street near the Energizer gas station where he died from his injuries.

It is unclear what led to the shooting, but Nichols says investigators tell her that they are following leads.

“It’s hard because you’re putting all of your faith, hope and trust into these people and the police department, and you have to sit back and hope and pray that they do what needs to be done so that the person or people who did this to my baby child gets behind bars. You have no choice but to sit here and wait,” she said.

Now, she is using her platform to ask for help leading to an arrest.

“People talk. People talk, so I wanted that video to be seen because if the person who did this to my son could see what he did to our family. He took my son from me. My son,” Nichols said.

Lee would have been 19-years-old on Saturday.

“I spoke to him yesterday morning around 10 to tell him I had his money for his birthday. He was looking forward to it. Just hanging out with his friends and girlfriend. His family was his life,” Nichols said.

Nichols says her son was an organ donor and will live on even in death helping others.

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can contact the Prichard Police Department at 251-452-7800 or the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office at 251-574-8633.

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