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CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. - A man found shot Thursday along Interstate 295 at the Maryland-D.C. line was a D.C. elementary school custodian and father to an 8-year-old child.
Police say Armani Nico Coles, 27, of Northwest D.C. was found lying on the roadway at Kenilworth Avenue and Eastern Avenue in Capitol Heights at around 6:20 p.m. Investigators believe Coles was pushed out of a vehicle after he was shot in the upper body. Detectives are working to determine where the shooting took place.
Coles died at the hospital.
"He lived for his family," said Coles' mother, Amber Coles. "He adored me. He adored his son. He was a hard worker. He worked for D.C. Public Schools for six years. He never was involved in violence. No drugs, no anything. His family was his life."
She said her son worked at Powell Elementary School and loved children. She said she spoke to him on Thursday before he left for work, and doesn't know what led up to the shooting. She has no idea who would have murdered her son.
"Everybody loved Armani," she said.
Amber has been through this before. She had an older son who was also murdered five years ago. She said her home and heart are broken again, and now she has just one request.
"Whoever did this to my son, that murdered my son, just come forward. I forgive you," she said. "I forgive you. Just come forward and bring closure to my home."
Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (301) 772-4925.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help Armani's family with funeral expenses.