‘He wanted a better life’; Family honors Lake City shooting victim

LAKE CITY, Fla. (WCJB) - Family members are remembering a 24-year-old Lake City man as a devoted father with big dreams after he was shot and killed last week.

Lake City Police officials identified the victim as Jayveon Montroll Hall, known to family and friends as “Dirt Dirt.”

Officers responded to reports of a shooting on Northwest Albright Place just before 11 a.m. on June 23. When officers arrived, they found Hall suffering from a gunshot wound. He died at the scene.

Detectives later identified Willie Kyedell Thomas, 25, as the suspect. Police said Thomas refused officers’ commands when they located him, leading officers to deploy a K-9 before taking him into custody.

Investigators credited tips from community members with helping them quickly identify and locate the suspect.

Hall’s family gathered in Lake City for what they called the official “Dirt Dirt Day” celebration, honoring his life and encouraging the community to come together against gun violence.

Shwanda Walker, Hall’s relative, said the family hopes people remember him for the life he lived rather than the way he died.

“We ask everyone to just keep our family in your prayers and remember Jayveon for his smile, his love and the life that he deserved to continue to live,” Walker said.

Walker described Hall as a loving father who had recently reached an important milestone by getting his own home.

“He had just gotten his own place, so that was a huge accomplishment for him. He wanted to have a place for his kids to come when they were with him to be comfortable and just have a place to raise them,” she said.

She said Hall’s young daughter, whom the family calls “Little MoMo,” is already feeling the loss.

“He has a smaller baby that has not even got the chance to understand what a great father he was. She is feeling it. She knows that something is going on, that her father is not around,” Walker said.

Walker also reflected on raising Hall when he was younger, saying he lived with her for a period of his childhood.

“It’s countless memories that I have of him. I have tons of other nephews and cousins, but Jayveon could stay right with me, and that just brings back such good memories for me,” she said.

She said Hall had been working toward a brighter future and recently gave his life to Christ.

“Even in some of his last days, he was witnessed giving his life to Christ, and so we honor that to the fullest, just knowing that he’s in a better place,” Walker said.

Beyond mourning Hall, Walker said she hopes his death sparks change in the community.

“I grew up in this very house behind me, and we could sleep with our front doors open with the windows up. Now you’re just afraid. We just want to see it back to the way it was. We just pray to God that the gun violence just stops,” she said.

The family said Hall should be remembered as a son, father, nephew and friend who was loved beyond words and was working to build a better life for his children.

Hall’s viewing, which will include a fish fry fellowship celebration, is scheduled for Friday at African Baptist Church. His homegoing celebration will be held Saturday, followed by interment.

Thomas remains in the Columbia County Jail. His arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. on July 3.

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