JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An infant boy, his mother and another woman were killed in a shooting Sunday night on Cleveland Road in a parking lot across the street from the Cleveland Arms Apartments, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Two other people were also shot.
JSO Director Ron Lendvay said the first call came in just after 6 p.m. A short time later another call came in from the fire station that reported multiple people shot in a car.
Police said one woman was dead in the car and a second woman, a man and an 11-month-old baby were taken to UF Health Jacksonville, where the boy and woman died.
The boy has been identified as Tedashii Williams. His mother, 22-year-old Kadejah Williams, was also killed, along with 18-year-old Xacia Burnem.
"I heard gunshots. After the second round, I came to check on my family because we stay out here," a neighbor told News4Jax. "I came out here, and I saw a lot of people around, a body on the ground. It was crowded and everybody was just screaming, 'She got shot; she got shot.'"
Victim's mother heartbroken
Burnem's mother, Pamela Williams, said she's heartbroken over the loss of her daughter and the other victims.
"My heart goes out to that family," Williams said. "It's just sad that these people lost their lives, including my daughter. This baby didn't even have a chance. It’s just sad. My heart goes out to that family."
Shortly after the shooting, another woman walked into the hospital with a gunshot wound, but police said they are not sure if that was connected.
"It's a sad day for Jacksonville," Lendvay said. "It's a sad day for everyone who lives in this area, and it's a sad day for those that are out here investigating this terrible crime."
Officers said the violence began after an argument, but they haven't figured out what the argument was about. Police closed off Cleveland Road, Moncrief Road and Myrtle Avenue for about six hours during the investigation.
Williams said Burnem was a student at SALTech Charter High School and was supposed to be going to the fair Sunday, so she doesn't know why she was in a car at a food store on Cleveland Road when the gunfire began.
"I don't know what happened from going to the fair ... and ended up with her being killed," Williams said. "I'm hearing different stories. I don't know the real story .... Heard a story that a fight broke out and all these people got killed."
Williams has set up a Go Fund Me to raise money for funeral expenses.
Family seeks answers
The grandmother of the mother and child killed said she is heartbroken. She lost not only her great grandson, but her granddaughter as well.
“My grandbaby was 11-months-old, my great grandson. He was a sickly baby in and out of the hospital. And God did not save him for somebody to come and kill him.”
Wilma Alexander said the only reason she was able to get out of bed Monday, and show up to a vigil held for her great grandson and granddaughter, was because of Curry’s vow to end Violence in Jacksonville.
Alexander said what happened Sunday evening is still unclear.
“I’ve heard stories from different people,” Alexander said. “I didn’t even want to hear it. Because you know what? It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. They shouldn’t have been killed. They shouldn’t have been killed in the first place. I don’t care if you’re arguing with people, you don’t have to kill them.”
The reality of losing her great grandson and granddaughter is starting to set in for Alexander.
“I saw it this morning on the news. And I said, 'God, what happened?' I’m going to work and my son and law called me and told me it was my granddaughter,” Alexander said.
Both families of those killed are suffering and wonder when the violence on the streets will come to an end. Alexander said she believes someone knows who committed the crimes and pleaded for them to come forward.
“I know someone knows,” Alexander said. “There were too many people out there. Too many people that saw what happened. Please speak up. Just speak up.”
Williams said she held on to hope for as long as she could Sunday night.
"My phone went ringing and people were calling to let me know that my daughter was shot. I called my husband. He came and picked me up," Williams said. "We went to the hospital. It was chaos.”
Williams said her 19-year-old son, Bilaal Shaw, was killed in 2009 while waiting to catch a bus to First Coast High School. She said that case was never solved.
"They're not supposed to be getting killed. They're supposed to be enjoying their lives, senior year, going to proms and everything," Williams said. "And every time you turn around I'm looking at the TV, young people getting killed. It doesn't make sense. It needs to stop."
Williams said she fears Burnem's case will not be solved, either, unless someone comes forward with information.
Burnem's cousin begged anyone who knows anything to speak up.
"Y'all can remain anonymous. She would have wanted somebody to do this for her, and if you have loved ones, someone would do the same thing for you," said the cousin, who asked not to be identified. "Please y'all, I'm begging, please."
The cousin said her family deserves justice for Burnem's death.
"She always had a smile on her face," the cousin said. "She was going to ask you how you were doing. She was going to make sure you were straight. She would never put anyone in harm's way."
Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.
Community mourns
The community will hold a candlelight vigil at 6 p.m. Monday at the Simonds-Johnson Park at 3730 Moncrief Road in honor of all the recent victims of violence.
Dr. Irvin Cohen, vice president of social responsibility at the Johnson Family YMCA, just half a mile from Sunday night's shooting, said the community has to come together now.
“Anytime someone dies, in my opinion, it's a tragedy, so you want to extend prayers to the victim's family, but you also want to extend prayers to the perpetrator's family as well,” Cohen said.
Cohen said he wanted to remind residents in the community that the local YMCA is a safe place where anyone can come if they are looking for comfort.
“We're just a place in the community that understands that tragedy does happen and probably in communities like this, it happens far too often,” Cohen said. “For the last 50 years, we have been that space in a community where those members who are hurting can come.”
He said they’re also there year round teaching youth and adults life lessons, like how to properly handle conflict.
“I think the thing I always, in particular, tell my young people is breathe, take a moment to just breathe, and in the time that it takes for you to catch your breath is the time that you could probably have to say, 'This really wasn't that important -- at least not that important where someone is actually going to lose their life behind it,'” Cohen said.
For more information, go to FloridasFirstCoastYMCA.org or call 904-765-3589.
