As he left home for a party on New Year's Eve, Jordan Henry told his mother not to worry about him. Neither one of them knew then he would never be coming home.

Just minutes before midnight, the Grade 12 student and promising football player was fatally shot at a house party in Brampton, becoming Peel Region's 31st homicide victim of 2019.

"I screamed and fell to the floor and just started to cry," his sister said, recalling the moment she learned her brother had been shot.

Usually a homebody, going out wasn't something Henry did often, according to his sister, who asked to be identified only as "Jodi."

'"I'm becoming an adult, you know, you can trust me. I promise everything will be OK,'" Jodi said her brother told their mom.

Henry hoped to become a paramedic

But his family did worry.

"I don't like house parties, especially because of what's going on in the city today with a lot of young people getting killed for no reason," Jodi told CBC News.

"The majority of the time he never goes out ... This one time decides to go out and that ended his life," she said.

Henry was a people person, popular at school, always making people laugh, and he was his mother's best friend, Jodi recalled. He had been looking forward to graduating, with dreams of one day becoming a paramedic, she said.

The night of the party, Henry attended with one friend, Jodi said. But he didn't know many of the others in attendance especially well.

Police say they were called to the home on Alderbury Crescent at 11:58 p.m. for reports of gunfire. They arrived to find Henry suffering life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Despite the best efforts of first-responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

'Shock and disbelief'

Investigators have not yet identified them, but say suspects were seen fleeing the scene.

"Everyone is still in shock and disbelief because they just know Jordan as a kid that just stays home and ... plays a lot of video games," Jodi said.

The football team at St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic Secondary School, where Henry was a student, described him as a dedicated young man with a strong work ethic.

It’s with deep sadness to find out that d’Youville Football has tragically lost one of our brothers to senseless gun violence last night. Jordan Henry was a quiet young man who was well respected by his coaches for the strong work ethic he brought to the field everyday. RIP 😔💔 <a href="https://t.co/pcvmkWw43m">pic.twitter.com/pcvmkWw43m</a> —@dYFootball

For now, Jodi said, her family is still waiting for Henry's body to be released before they can lay him to rest.

But in the meantime, she has a message for whomever is responsible for her brother's death.

"I hope he understands what he put our family through, especially my mom and dad ... It's very difficult for all of us to cope because he didn't deserve this at all," she said.

"He was just an innocent child."