Teen killed in shooting was grandson of national anti-violence advocate

Lina Portman1 week ago

0 3 minutes read

For Jackie Jackson, the subject of gun violence is personal.

He is a pastor whose job is to comfort and guide survivors of gun violence and families who lose loved ones to gun violence. He works for an organization that advocates for gun safety in cities across the United States. And his family is deeply saddened.

He is also the grandfather of Jackie Jackson III, a 16-year-old who died in a shooting at The Banks early Saturday morning.

His son – and Jackson III's father – was shot and wounded in 2007 and again in December of last year, Pastor Jackson said.

And Jackson has personal experience, as he was also shot at a very young age.

“I was shot when I was 10. Me and a friend,” he recalls. “We chased him to an entrance. He turned around with a .32, fired one shot and a bullet hit both of us. So that's the start of my descent, or whatever you want to call it, in gun violence.”

“Just a kid trying to figure it out.”

Jackie Jackson III, like many teenagers, was distant and searching for his place in the world, his grandfather said.

“He's funny. He's a silly kid – big smile, loved to laugh. But he's a teenager,” he said. “At sixteen, they’re not trying to be there, you know.”

Her grandson had a daughter who was almost a year old, according to Jackson. He was growing into the responsibilities of adulthood while retaining the naivety and natural attitude of a teenager.

“There are times when you probably act more like a child, there are times when you try to act like an adult. And that's what he was. He was a child, a young teenager, trying to become an adult,” Jackson said.

Jackie Jackson III would have turned 17 next month.

Jackson was in bed when he learned of his grandson's death

The pastor had just gone to bed around 2 a.m. Shortly after, his phone rang.

He keeps his phone on “Do Not Disturb” when it's late, but his settings are designed to allow certain contacts to reach him at night, he said. The call he received that night was from Jackie Jackson III's mother.

“I answered and she was screaming.”

Being a point of contact after a shooting is nothing new for Jackson. He reacts with a pragmatic and calm attitude, often without taking the time to cry, he said. Once he understood the situation, his attention turned to his family.

Jackson is a pastor at Come As You Are Reach-Out Ministry. And he works at Everytown For Gun Safety as a program manager, so he knows the trauma that gun violence can leave behind.

“The first thing for me is taking care of people, and I've done this job for a decade, and it's like muscle memory,” he said. “Once it hits me and it's kind of like 'oh my God,' my next move, my next thought is what needs to happen to my family.”

“God anointed me to do this work”

Through years of experience, Jackson has developed the skills and composure needed to help gun violence survivors and victims' families after an incident, but he also feels he has been called to do so by something greater.

“I’m not a magical or powerful person, but God anointed me to do this job,” Jackson said.

Even though he had family ties to the victim, such as during the death of his grandson, he maintained a calm approach.

“There is something that he has placed in me that will allow me to detach myself personally and begin to deal with the situation at hand,” he added.

Much of his work as a pastor revolves around gun violence. People look to him as a voice of reason and support as they navigate grief and trauma, he said, which takes a toll.

“They talk to me sometimes when they don't talk to other people. You know, it's an honor, and it's almost like someone throwing an anvil on your head.”

What's next for the family

A GoFundMe has been organized to raise money for a funeral. The family is trying to raise $7,500 to cover these costs.

The family is choosing to keep the funeral date and location private at this time, according to Jackson.

His message to the culprit

Jackson encourages people with information about the shooting to contact police.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Cincinnati Police at 513-352-3542.

To the shooter, his message is simple: “Go and surrender”.

“If they don't know how to take care of someone else's family, think about your mom, your dad, your brothers and sisters and just turn yourself in,” he said. “It's serious .”

“Just a kid trying to figure it out.”

Jackson was in bed when he learned of his grandson's death

“God anointed me to do this work”

What's next for the family

His message to the culprit

Lina Portman

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