Teen Killed at Car Meet After Telling Mom 'I Won't Get Shot'

A Washington state teenager was fatally shot at a car meet on Sept. 6, just days after he reportedly promised his mother he would not be harmed. Kaleb Osborne, 17, was killed in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood while trying to break up a heated fight, according to an interview his mother, Amanda Osborne, gave to KING5.

"The last promise he made was that he wouldn’t get shot," Amanda Osborne told the outlet. She shared that she was unable to see her son's body until the Wednesday following his death.

Osborne described her son as a peacemaker. "If he knew someone was hurting, he tried to make you happy. He tried to do anything to make you smile. He was a goofball. He was so funny," she said. Her son’s friend, Tanner Wilks, echoed this sentiment, stating Kaleb was trying to de-escalate the situation and calm things down.

Car meets, sometimes referred to as “street takeovers,” are often illegal gatherings where drivers perform stunts. Kaleb's passion for cars reportedly led him to the event.

Kyle Scharpf, a local safety and preservation activist who mentored Kaleb, described the teen as "lost" but noted his significant progress. Scharpf said he watched Kaleb move from having a "tarnished reputation" to receiving job offers and gaining respect from others.

Amanda Osborne plans to have a memorial bench installed on a hillside lookout in Thurston County, near Yelm, which was her son’s favorite place. "This was my son’s favorite place. All of his friends used to hang out here. This is how I want everyone to remember my son. This beautiful place. He was beautiful. He loved nature. He loved life," she said.

A fundraiser has been established to cover Kaleb Osborne's funeral expenses.