ystem, he would call me about the people he would meet and would be so proud of, you know, the problem he had solved or the people he had helped. So he was definitely a people person,  Marie Holmes said.

Marie said those calls were a consistent part of her day, where RJ shared details about his life.

 His method of communication was FaceTime. He would FaceTime me two or three times a day. Even, I would go into meetings, I'm like,  hey, I'm going into a meeting with my boss', and he would be at work as well. I would say,  RJ, don't call me between these times.' Inevitably, he would. I'm like,  RJ.' He was like,  I know mom, but.' So everything he did, he shared,  she said.

 This whole notion of navigating life without him, I don't know how to do that. We don't know how to do that. Because his life was just getting started, for real, as an adult,  Marie Holmes said.

Marie Holmes explained there is a hole now in their family that will never be filled.

She said,  We've had a bomb detonate in our family. I feel this all throughout my body. 

On Sept. 4, RJ Holmes called in an order to a restaurant at Goodfellow and Lillian. St. Louis Metropolitan Police said a group of men inside tried to rob him before one of the men shot him. Holmes died at the scene.

 He called in an order to pick up food. He should have been allowed to walk in and come back out. In the twinkling of an eye, his life was taken. Prematurely. Prematurely. Senseless,  Marie Holmes said.

A grand jury indictment charges two men with first-degree murder and other charges. Tah'Jae Reed was arrested in September. Alexion Bishop was arrested last Friday and appeared in court this week.

Police are seeking help identifying two more men connected to the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).

 We are very thankful for what they've done. They've been on it. The police department. And they've been very helpful. And we're going to continue to move forward as far as doing whatever they need to get our help,  Reginald Holmes said.

 We do want to make sure that there is justice. We know that the process is not necessarily quick, but really thankful for the work that they've done so far. That's a whole other level of things we have to deal with as a family. But getting justice definitely won't bring my son back. But it's needed,  Marie Holmes said.

Marie Holmes said long-term, the goal is to see changes made to protect others.

 We're in the very early stages of extreme torment and grief. It's hard to find your lane, but at a very minimum, my son should have been allowed to walk into an establishment to pick up an order and come out. Making sure that legislation and our legislators look at this really seriously. Because there is a huge problem. How can changes be made for businesses to make sure that their customers are safe? What can be done to make sure there's not another RJ?  Marie Holmes said.

Marie Holmes said she wants people to know RJ was a hard worker, smart, caring and dedicated to achieving his goals and making the most of life.

 He liked nice things; he worked a lot of overtime to get it. I was really proud about all of that. I want people to know that my son should have had the opportunity to pursue his dreams in his life,  Marie Holmes said.

She added,  A takeaway is maybe to live in the moment more. Without worrying about tomorrow all the time. Trying to find that balance, anyway. Trying to find that balance. Because he found it. 

For now, Marie Holmes said the family is focused on remembering the impact RJ had on their lives.

 Right now, we are trying to say his name, and try to laugh. Try to not let us hyperfocus so much on his end of life, but focus on the 23 years of good life that he did have,  Marie Holmes said.