JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two fellow students of the 20-year-old shot and killed Tuesday night in the parking lot of the Southside Walmart were arrested and charged with his murder.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says De'jon Frazier, 18, and Jameel Burroughs, 19, of robbing and killing Anthony Bannister in the 8800 block of Beach Boulevard.
Jacksonville police said the killing was the result of a drug deal. According to a police report, Bannister and his friend, 19-year-old Frederick Phillips Jr., met the suspects to sell them some marijuana.
Police said Burroughs shot Bannister (pictured, right), who was in a car in the parking lot, and Phillips drove him to a Kangaroo gas station nearby. Bannister died at a hospital.
After the shooting, police found Burroughs' phone number in Bannister's phone. The two had talked right before the arranged drug deal, according to the report.
Police showed Phillips a photo lineup, and he picked Burroughs out, according to the report. He and Frazier both admitted it was a planned robbery and that they wanted the marijuana, according to the police report.
"The team, they followed up some leads by interviewing the witness, which led them to the suspect," said Lt. Rob Schoonover, of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. "This was solved within 48 hours, so this was an excellent job."
Police said Frazier, Burroughs and Bannister were all students of Tulsa Welding School on the Southside and knew each other. Burroughs was arrested at the school.
Bannister's mother sent this response to Channel 4's Hailey Winslow's request for an interview:
"Many people will say this tragedy is just another reason why guns need to be off the streets. With this I don't agree. This is another confirmation that evil is on this Earth. No matter the circumstances surrounding my son's death, it is my testimony that God is in control. It was Blake's time to meet Jesus. As heart broken as his dad and I are, we are confident in our Lord's words and promises. Blake came into this world in celebration and that's how I want him to go out. He was a very loved young man. I have received confirmation of this with hug after hug and tear after tear."
Malik Lovett, a Tulsa Welding School student, said he was good friends with Bannister, who he called Blake.
"He was a nice person to be around, always kept you laughing and smiling," Lovett said. "It's really sad to know he's gone; he's not here with us anymore."
Lovett said he also knew the two men now charged with murder.
"They were pretty cool, too. I wouldn't expect to ever hear that they did something like this. That's completely out of character for them," Lovett said.
Channel 4 crime analyst Ken Jefferson said the men probably thought they were making a simple drug deal and nothing would go wrong.
"They picked a public spot where the seller probably thought they'd be safe because there are people around," Jefferson said. "But there's never any honor among thieves. It can go bad at any time."
Bannister's mother sent a text message to Channel 4's Hailey Winslow that reads as follows:
"Many people will say this tragedy is just another reason why guns need to be off the streets. With this I don't agree. This is another confirmation that evil is on this Earth. No matter the circumstances surrounding my son's death, it is my testimony that God is in control. It was Blake's time to meet Jesus. As heartbroken as his dad and I are, we are confident in our Lord's words and promises. Blake came into this world in celebration and that's how I want him to go out. He was a very loved young man. I have received confirmation of this with hug after hug and tear after tear."