FLORIDA CITY – The family of 13-year-old Johvan “Woodah” Taylor is pleading for justice after he was killed in a drive-by shooting Saturday evening while eating on his father’s porch.
“He was very playful, talkative, likeable, and respectful. He was an excellent person. He lit up the rooms. “He touched everyone,” said Jakilah Brady, the family spokesperson. “If you know anything, please speak up. Any little thing can help. You can stay anonymous. “All we want as a family is justice and closure.
Brady described the heartbreak of having to explain the tragedy to Taylor’s 5-year-old brother.
“He has a 5-year-old brother who repeatedly says, ‘Woodah, Woodah.'” “What will we tell him when he asks for his brother?” Brady said.
“This was his parents’ oldest child. They are now forced to live without their child as a result of something completely senseless and unrelated to him. He did not deserve that. He was eating food. “He was wasting food, and they killed an innocent bystander,” he explained.
The family’s grief is exacerbated by the date of the tragedy.
“It would mean a lot to me if someone came forward,” he said. “He passed away on my birthday and every birthday now I have got to remember…”
A South Florida community mourns
Taylor was the nephew of Maurice Alexander, a Detroit Lions wide receiver and graduate of Florida International University. Brady stated that Alexander paid the family a visit on Monday morning but declined to comment publicly.
Alexander reacted on X:
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CBS News Miami discovered a photo of Alexander and Taylor on social media.
Taylor’s father also declined to speak on camera, but expressed his grief on social media, writing, “My baby boy fought his hardest. “I’ll love you forever, son.”
The Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed that someone was brought in for questioning in relation to the shooting, but no arrests have been made.
A $5,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
Second Florida City tragic loss in two months
This is the second child fatality in Florida City in the last two months.
On November 16, 9-year-old Antavious Scott was shot and killed while playing football with friends in an apartment complex. Despite public calls from family members, activists, and police, no arrests were made in that case either.
Miami-Dade students grieve
Taylor’s death has shaken his community. Miami-Dade public schools reopened Monday after winter break, but Brady said the tragedy has had a significant impact on students and families.
“Right now, the kids are in school, grieving. They can’t handle it. Parents are being forced to pick their children up. Counselors are available in nearby high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. “The kids are hurt,” she stated.
Taylor, who enjoyed football, dirt biking, and spending time with his younger brother, was airlifted to Jackson South Trauma Center but died.
Sunday night, the family held a vigil in honor of the teen, vowing not to rest until the perpetrator is brought to justice.
How to help
If you have any information about the shooting, you are urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip at CrimeStoppers305.com.
Tips can be made anonymously.
