JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Family members and friends of Dejuan Graham said the 15-year-old was playing basketball at an area park, something they say he loved to do, when someone opened fire into the crowd and shot him to death.
Police responded to the Buffalo Park in the 6900 block of Buffalo Avenue Wednesday night. When they arrived, they said they found Graham lying on the ground.
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At least five or six shots had been fired into the popular park. According to the teen's family, one of the shots hit Graham in the back of the head.
A day after Graham was gunned down, family members and friends held one another close, and emotions ran high as the teen was remembered.
"(The shooter) not only destroyed one family, and that?s Dejuan's family, he destroyed his own family. His mom is going to suffer also," said Graham's aunt, Yolanda Clark.
Police said there was a dispute on the court that led to the shooting. They said Graham was not armed.
"It made me wonder why. Why was it so about him that he was disliked? What could he have said?" Clark said.
Hours before Graham was fatally shot, a 50-year-old man was beaten and robbed in his driveway just around the corner from the park.
The violence prompted community members to speak out about their concerns. In a packed room at Charlie Joseph Community Center, more than 50 area residents met in hopes of finding answers.
"It could have been my 12-year-old son. It could have been my 17-year-old daughter. It could have been my 3-year-old son. It should not be that you can't go to your local park," said one neighbor.
"I'm just asking as a concerned mother that the youth that's out here doing things that shouldn?t be done to stop. It needs to stop; come together as one. Let the violence go. Stop the killing," said concerned parent Geanine Waters.
Police said they are still searching for the gunman who shot Graham. Anyone who can help police solve the crime is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-2172.