GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The family and friends of Deja Reaves will gather in Chicago for a celebration of life on Saturday.

Reaves was the 18-year-old North Carolina A&T State University student who was shot and killed last week on Sullivan Street in Greensboro.

On Friday afternoon, her fellow Aggies held an event to remember their classmate.

Reaves is one of several NCA&T students who’ve lost their lives to gun violence. Students said too many young people are dying, and they want something done to stop it.

“As a university, it’s very important that we unite through our successes, our hardships, and this here was a hardship for us losing one of our fellow aggies: Deja Rae Reeves,” said Mariah Couch, who organized the event.

Hundreds of students met in the student center Friday afternoon wearing shades of pink, which was Reaves’ favorite color. Some knew the Aggie freshman. Others didn’t but came to offer support.

After a moment of silence and a scripture reading, the university’s gospel choir sang a song. The goal of the event was to pray for Reaves’ family, for the campus community and for change.

“It doesn’t make sense why we’re passing away so much,” said Marcus Scott Jr., a junior at the university. “We have one of the brightest generations that I’ve ever seen, and to see all this brilliance just going to waste, it just hurts my heart.”

Those who organized the event had a mission of using Reaves’ name to spark action from university leaders.

“The university to allow more events to happen on campus just to secure the safety of our students because that happened off campus. Although it was close to campus, it happened off campus,” Couch said.

FOX8 checked with Greensboro police on Friday. Officers have not made any arrests in this case.