Willie Simmons was remembered as humble, competitive and kind. The 18-year-old was a leader and had dreams of being the best linebacker in football.
But more than a week ago, his life was cut short.
Simmons, died April 18 along with his girlfriend, Alyssa Broderick, 17, and her mother, Amanda Broderick, 35, after they were shot in a Northwest Austin parking lot. Authorities have charged Alyssa’s 41-year-old stepfather, Stephen Broderick, with murder in the triple homicide that police described as domestic violence.
Austin police said Stephen Broderick was meeting his wife for a scheduled custody visit with the couple’s 10-year-old son. The boy was unharmed during the shooting and survived.
Stephen Broderick, a former property crimes detective with the Travis County sheriff's office, remained held at the Travis County Jail on Tuesday without bail.
Simmons’ father, who shared his name with his son, said his son had gone with Alyssa to take her brother back to her mother when the shooting happened.
The younger Willie Simmons was a senior at Elgin High School, played football and was preparing to join the football team at the University of North Texas, where he was planning to study business.
Previous coverage:Broderick family friends recall slain teenager with WNBA dreams, football player 'full of life'
On Tuesday, family and friends paid their respects to Simmons and his family with a ceremony at Mount Zion Baptist Church in East Austin.
Those in attendance, who were masked, walked up to the casket as they entered the church, many wiping away tears and letting out gentle sobs.
His football teammates, taking up several rows at the front of the church, wore their jerseys.
Jens Anderson, outgoing Elgin football coach, said Simmons was a dominant figure on the team and on the defensive line, serving as the team’s captain, which he said was a testament to Willie's dedication and leadership skills.
Football was a large part of who Simmons was, he said, but not everything.
“He was much more than a football player,” Anderson said. “He was the type of young man that every father wanted their son to be. He was committed to success. Competitive but respectful. He finished strong and would want us all to do the same.”
The elder Willie Simmons, who wore his son’s football spirit buttons on his suit jacket, said his son loved football, and he lived his life in the fourth quarter, meaning that he always wanted to “finish strong.”
As he was preparing to play football for the North Texas Mean Green, the younger Simmons wanted to be the best linebacker UNT had ever seen, his father said. Members of the team presented the Simmons family with an honorary jersey Tuesday bearing the number 9.
“I believe him,” Simmons said. “He was so excited about his future and I was proud to be his father.”
The younger Simmons' sister, Destiny, who fought back tears as she addressed the church on Tuesday, joked about how spoiled Willie was, saying their mom brought him everything, including new shoes and sunglasses.
"I wish I was a better big sister to him," she said while sobbing. "I'm really going to miss him."
Many friends and family members spoke about Willie’s work ethic, his dedication on and off the football field, and the presence he brought to their lives.
Franklin Karr, Willie’s youth pastor, said the teen was an incredible young man. He recalled the many times he would run into Willie in the neighborhood and they would talk for so long that sometimes they would stop traffic.
"It happened so often that I would look for Willie every time I went outside,” Karr said. “The attitude he bought to a room, to the field, or just playing games inside, people were just drawn to him. ... Knowing Willie has been an honor, and it stinks that he is gone. I will miss that smile and his laugh. Not having him around is going to be so hard.”
Simmons’ uncle, Chris, helped close the ceremony Tuesday preaching about grief, love, forgiveness and faith.
“Grief doesn’t discriminate,” he said. “Grief, hurt, and pain connects us all. So, I’m asking you to choose love. Choose forgiveness. Choose life. And choose Jesus. Don’t get stuck in this moment and die in this moment. I need you to live. Willie lived his life in the fourth quarter, so finish strong.”