Jacobi Sa’fiir Marcelle’s name was displayed in oversized letters alongside banners and photos throughout the March Life Tribute Center in Randallstown.

Brown, green and orange balloon arches, cardboard cutout photos of the 4-year-old boy and dinosaurs surrounded his casket, which was also filled with stuffed dinosaurs.

Jacobi was shot on Christmas Eve in Rosedale along with his 1-year-old sister and mother, Promyss Marcelle. Though his mother and sister survived, Jacobi died of his injuries. Police have since charged his father in the deadly shooting.

“I lost my son. I could’ve lost my life, but God kept me here for my daughter,” Marcelle said through tears during remarks at the funeral. “I don’t know why this happened. I hate that this happened. I miss my baby.”

Clergy calmed and comforted the grieving mother during her son’s service, which was attended by dozens of family members and friends.

“I can’t believe this is my life,” she said.

Jacobi’s aunt, Blessyn Marcelle, wrote and read her nephew’s obituary.

“I remember thinking, ‘I’m a ‘mom’s side’ aunt now. That’s my baby,” she told The Banner, describing when she first learned her older sister was pregnant.

“He would always climb on me and just do the craziest things,” she said, recounting memories of babysitting her nephew.

Friends of the family also spoke during the service, including Angela Christie, who was there accompanying her granddaughter, 4-year-old Denaja Johnson, who was one of Jacobi’s best friends.

“I would go pick her up [from school]. He would call me Grandma. ‘Grandma, I want to go with you.’ He would hold onto my leg and cry,” she said.

She had to comfort Denaja, who she said had never been to a funeral before Friday.

“We tried to tell her, ‘Jacobi’s sleeping.’ She said, ‘No. Jacobi’s dead,’” Christie said. “She broke down in there.”

It was an open-casket funeral.

Christie said she respects and admires what Promyss Marcelle is doing by keeping his name alive and sharing her story. She hopes it’ll prevent something similar from happening.

Jacobi’s pre-k teacher, LaTanya Scott, also gave remarks and wrote a letter to him that was included in the funeral program. She said her favorite memories of Jacobi were during nap time when, while other kids were asleep, he would stay awake and sit at her side.

“I used to have the different dinosaurs, and I’ll say another animal’s name to see if he knew it, and he’ll correct me,” Scott said of her “Dino Boy”, her nickname for Jacobi.

Scott said this is her first time losing a student, and it’s been devastating.

“Not only am I their teacher, I’m their second nurturer,” she said.

But Jacobi was quite special to her. In her remarks, she said she’ll miss his laughter, bright smile and curiosity the most. She’s been thinking of happy memories with Jacobi so as to not appear sad in front of her students and has memorialized both his cubby and seat in the classroom.

The hardest part, she said, was Marcelle’s denial and initial refusal to close the Jurassic Park-themed casket adorned with Jacobi’s pictures.

“Mommy loves you,” Marcelle cried as she kissed her son before they closed the casket. “My baby, my baby, my baby.”