Family remembers 14-year-old killed in Thomson shooting

THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Family and friends gathered to remember Jonathan Johnson with a balloon release at Thomson Middle School.

Jonathan died Nov. 18 at 11:31 a.m. after suffering a gunshot wound to the head in the 500 block of Anderson Avenue.

Things are still extremely raw for his family. It’s been nearly three weeks since he was shot and later died.

“Every time you see him, he was smiling. He was happy, caring, loving. I would say out of all the cousins, he was the favorite,” said his aunt, Nakisha Greir.

There have been arrests in his case, but his family is far from closure.

They remember him as a teen in his last year of middle school. He played football. He was everything to his family.

“People were easily attached to him,” said Grier. “He was very likable.”

His family says he was the smart one and was always teaching them something they didn’t know.

“He was curious and didn’t mind asking questions,” said Grier. “He didn’t mind providing feedback or his understanding of something he learned.”

It’s not just a blow to his family, but to the Thomson community as a whole, which has seen several deaths of young people in the past four months.

In July, Megan Ebenroth died after becoming infected with a brain-eating amoeba. Then 12-year-old Jace Simmons took his own life on Sept. 7. And 15-year-old Nylah Tutt died suddenly of a medical condition.

Those who live in Thomson say there has been an increase in violence in recent years.

“We got too many young children losing their lives to gun violence. And I’ve lived here for 57 years. And this has been the worst that I’ve ever seen McDuffie County since I’ve been here, 57 years,” Sabrina Hester said.

Amid the concerns, there’s a push for more resources for teenagers in the area.

The McDuffie County Youth Council NAACP is an extension of the adult branch of the NAACP. The group is open to people aged 25 and under and educates them on the issues facing young black Americans while also educating them on our history and how they can prepare them to continue to progress forward.

Dr. Melinda Hudson and Devin R. Pinkston serve as co-advisers for the council.

“We want to teach our children how to move forward in American society,” said Hudson. “Our focus is on youth because they are the future.”

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