Family and friends gathered to pray and release balloons in honor of a 62-year-old man who was gunned down one week ago today while in his wheelchair and visiting with friends outside his Birmingham apartment.

Phillip Michael “Knapp” Coleman died May 14 as he sat underneath his favorite shade tree on 59th Street, between First and Second Avenues North. He was confined to a wheelchair because of ALS and had recently been placed under the care of hospice professionals.

“We all loved him,’’ Shelia Coleman, the victim’s sister-in-law, said at Tuesday’s vigil. “Knapp was a person that everybody loved. He was not a stranger to anyone.”

The shooting happened just before 3 p.m. that Tuesday. Birmingham’s Shot Spotter initially registered six shots in the area but as the investigation progressed, crime scene technicians marked at least 16 shell casings.

No arrests have been made.

Mayor Randall Woodfin last week, in a plea for witnesses to come forward, said Coleman was killed while he was surrounded by young men that he thought were his friends, yet they left him when the gunfire erupted and have not cooperated with police.

“He is a gentleman who has been in this community for some time, with his significant other for 38 plus years,’’ Woodfin said. “I actually spoke with his significant other in person, spoke with his brother, as well, in person.

“He was very known in Woodlawn, traveling around in his electric wheelchair,’’ the mayor said of Coleman.

Barely able to sit up and with little use of his hands, Coleman found solace under the shade tree.

“Under this tree, he found what I would call a reprieve, in nature, outside, that he could just enjoy himself,’’ Woodfin said. “The majority of the time when he is under the tree he was not alone. He was surrounded by a bunch of young men hanging out.

The victim’s sister-in-law said that Coleman loved family gatherings and barbecuing.

“He had barbecued for me for Memorial Day for 15 years until he got sick two years ago,’’ Shelia Coleman said. “If you wanted to put some meat on the grill, you definitely called Knapp.”

Shelia Coleman and her husband Nathan Coleman, who was the victim’s brother, organized Tuesday’s vigil and pleaded with anyone with information to come forward.

“Please talk to somebody,’’ she said. “My brother-in-law was sick, but he did not go (die) by his sickness.”

“What happened to him really was senseless,’’ she said. “We loved Knapp.”

Shelia Coleman led those gathered at the vigil in prayer, asking for peace and understanding.

“Help our hearts to be at peace with this situation,’’ she said. “Give all of us that don’t understand the understanding to understand what has happened here.”

Coleman’s funeral is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Central Missionary Baptist Church on 50th Street North.

Anyone with information in Coleman’s slaying is asked to call Birmingham detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.