JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Next week, it will be 10 years since the murder of Jordan Davis.
The 17-year-old was shot and killed at a Jacksonville gas station in a dispute over loud music.
The case garnered national attention, and his killer went to trial — twice.
Jordan Davis’ father, Ron, has a hole in his heart that’ll never be filled.
“It’s been hard most of the time,” Ron Davis said. “There be been pearls.”
Jordan Davis was out with his friends when they stopped at a gas station on Jacksonville’s Southside and blared rap music. Michael Dunn was leaving his son’s wedding, and while his fiancee was inside the store, he got into an argument with the teens and fired 10 shots into their red SUV, striking Jordan Davis several times.
Dunn left the scene and later told police he shot in self-defense after seeing a gun, but detectives never found any evidence that Jordan Davis or his friends were armed.
“Seventeen months with two trials. It was such a horrible thing to do. The thing that kept me and Lucy, Jordan’s mother, steadfast was that the community of Jacksonville came out and let us know we were doing the right thing and Jordan should not be killed,” Ron Davis said. “It meant there were a lot of hearts in this community who felt like Jordan was their child.”
The trial got international attention, bringing to light concerns of racism and Florida’s stand-your-ground laws. Ultimately, it went to a retrial where a jury convicted Dunn, who’s now serving life in prison.
Ron Davis used his tragedy to make a difference, traveling the world to talk about violence and push for peace. So did Jordan’s mother, Lucy McBath, an activist who just won re-election as a congresswoman in Atlanta.
Ron Davis is celebrating his son’s life through acts of kindness. On Saturday, the foundation in his name will host a feed the city luncheon at the Clara White Mission, giving meals, haircuts, supplies and more to homeless and low-income families.
“His legacy is he’s doing a lot for a lot of people,” Ron Davis said, “Not only here in Florida but around the world.”