Dustin Kelly's friends speak out

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Friends of Dustin Kelly, a Terre Haute native who was shot killed outside the Ballyhoo, sat down with News 10 and gave an inside look as to what kind of person Kelly was.

On August 24th just before 3:00 a.m. Dustin Kelly and two others had been shot outside a Terre Haute bar, called the Ballyhoo

When Shots rang out outside the Ballyhoo, April Palacios, a recent Indiana State University nursing graduate jumped into action.

"I ran over there and I start to try to assess the situation; what people can breathe or are talking to me and Dustin was the second person I ran over to and I performed CPR on him until the ambulance came,” said Palacios.

Kelly had been shot and killed outside in a parking lot facing the Ballyhoo.

Palacios says that night was one of the most challenging moments in her life.

"That was really rough because I didn't realize until after I started chest compressions that it was Dustin. Actually seeing that it’s a very close friend you’re working on, it becomes very surreal and also very hard to take on all at the same time. It's a lot to process,”  Palacios adds.

Derek Carroll, a friend and West Central Wildcat teammate of Kelly's spoke of Kelly’s character.

Carroll says "He enjoyed every moment he had here, he was a good guy. Every practice he came out there and played football and loved it, that was his favorite sport."

"That's what you look at; he impacted so many people’s lives. You talked to him for ten minutes and it sounded like you knew him for a year. He loved to be around people, he was a people person,” said Carroll.

In just a matter of seconds Kelly's life was taken from him and left behind were those who loved him.

Carroll says, "If I had one more chance to see him, I'd tell him I love him and I miss him."

"He was someone's son, someone's brother and someone's best friend. I want people to remember that about him,” said Palacios.

Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. a benefit for Dustin Kelly will be held at the Blu Katt followed by a candlelight vigil.

The vigil will start at the Blu Katt where friends and family members of Kelly will walk from the Blu Katt to the Ballyhoo in honor of his death.