They didn’t gather to mourn, but to celebrate the young life of Reserve Deputy Constable Carltrell Odom .

“I don’t know about you, but I love that name, and frankly, when we say it I believe it deserves an applause,” Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said.

The applause were loud and often Wednesday as family and friends remembered the man who, at age 20, became the youngest reserve deputy for the Precinct 6 Constable’s Office.

“We used to tease him because in the State of Texas, you have to be 21 years of age to buy bullets, so we didn’t know how he was going to get the bullets to put in his gun,” Constable Victor Trevino said.

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Deputy Carltrell Odom

The memories flowed among the crowd of colleagues, former Westbury High classmates and old friends from his days as an H-E-B clerk.

“We used to chase shoplifters, all kinds of people, everyday all the way to the 610 freeway,” a former supervisor said.

It was because of that eagerness and desire to help that family members supported Odom’s decision to become a full-time police officer.

But that dream ended abruptly last Thursday when the 22-year-old was shot outside of his apartment by four teenage boys trying to rob him and his friends.

Odom died at the scene, just days short of his 23^rd birthday.

So at his funeral, his family and friends prayed for an end to teen violence, and that more young men would follow the example set by a man whose life ended much too soon.

The four suspects in Odom’s shooting are in custody.  They are all charged with capital murder, but are too young to get the death penalty.