‘I pledge our solidarity.’ Friends, family gather to bury, say goodbye to slain Gulfport teen
Family and friends of Jaheim McMillan celebrated the life of the 15-year-old at his funeral service at the Lyman Community Center on Wednesday.
Several speakers were on hand from around the country to provide perspective and comfort to the large crowd on hand.
The roughly 200 seats available in the venue weren’t enough for the supporters and friends of the bereaved who poured into the building throughout the afternoon.
Many of those in attendance donned custom-made shirts and jackets with Jaheim’s name and imaged emblazoned on them.
Among the speakers were the father of Jamari Rice, who was killed earlier this year by gun violence, and the father of Jacob Blake, who was shot and severely injured by a police in 2021.
A family member of Emmett Till also was on hand to offer words of encouragement and a message for the mourning: “We must not hate, but we cannot tolerate.”
The co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of the Black Lives Matter organization spoke briefly, as well.
“As people who are bound by ancestry and by spirit, I pledge our solidarity, my solidarity and our collective solidarity to the struggle for justice in Jaheim’s name,” Dr. Melina Abdullah said.
Jaheim was shot by Gulfport police on Oct. 6 outside of a Family Dollar store and died two days later on Oct. 8.
The family is represented by attorney Ben Crump, who said Monday during a press conference this week that “the officer unjustifiably discharged his firearm without any regard for safety of Jaheim, himself, or patrons that were shopping in the Family Dollar.
“So now we are here to demand accountability and now demand an arrest. There is no reason why the Department of Justice should not issue an arrest now for this officer.”
“We just want Justice for Jaheim, that’s all we ask,” Jaheim’s aunt, Shalonda Brown, said during the press conference. “If it’s clear cut like they’re saying, release the tape. We’re about to bury this baby and we still don’t have answers from the people that are supposed to be protecting and serving us. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Jaheim was laid to rest at Monroe Memorial Park. The funeral was supported by Rev. Al Sharpton, according to Crump.
