Snootie Wild‘s family has broken their silence days after his tragic passing. In their first statement since the emcee was fatally shot, the rapper’s relatives remembered him for many things, including his “beautiful, compassionate and talented soul.”

“We are devastated by the untimely passing of our beloved LePreston Porter, known to the world as gold-selling and Billboard charting Hip Hop recording artist Snootie Wild,” wrote the Porter family. “He meant the world to us. A son, loving boyfriend, brother to four sisters, a father of seven, and a nephew and cousin to a host of others, he held many roles within our family and was a big kid at heart. LePreston was a beautiful, compassionate and talented soul whose presence was ever felt within our family.”

“…Snootie was a man of the people and dearly loved creating music, and performing fun, high-energy live shows that brought all types of Hip Hop lovers together with his music,” the statement continued. “His fans were part of his family. So much so that he didn’t like to look down from the stage and would frequently join the crowd. Any city that he visited, he frequently ventured out to underserved areas to connect with the people.”

Snootie Wild was shot in a residential area on Friday (Feb. 25) and taken to Ben Taub Hospital where he eventually succumbed to gunshot wounds. His case is now being handled by the Houston Police Department.

As the family awaits the findings of the ongoing investigation, they asked fans to support them in their “pursuit for answers” “that will bring his killers to justice.” They also requested some privacy as they “endure the overwhelming pain of his life being unjustly taken away.”

See the statement below.