Candlelit vigil honors 16-year-old shot, killed saving girlfriend’s life

A heartbreaking candlelit vigil with friends, family, classmates, and the community mourning the loss of 16-year-old De’Mari Jackson.

“It hurts, yeah. It hits me, you know, when I found out, I cried. He was like my brother to me,” classmate Manny said.

De’mari and his girlfriend were walking when they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. A nearby argument among teenagers quickly turned violent. When the gunfire broke out he shielded his girlfriend from the bullets.

“I respect him for putting his life on the line for another person. Like, that’s real,” classmate Laden said.

Loved ones say De’Mari always lived a selfless life. His football coach says he only ever wanted to help the team to De’Mari, his teammates came first.

“He was a really solid kid. And you know, he went hard after what he believed in. He went hard for what he loved,” Renel Augustin, De’Mari’s football coach said. “Football was definitely one of those things. And he was one of the few kids on the team that lived his life off the field the same way he did on the field.”

“The smile that he would put on peoples’ faces. His mood just always brightened people up,” his classmate Dustin explained.

The community is remembering De’Mari for the hero he was and the bright spot forever etched in their lives.