High School Graduate, 18, Who Died While Tubing in Louisiana ‘Wanted to Make the World a Better Place,’ His Mother Says

NEED TO KNOW

• Jonis Warren Jr., 18, recently graduated from high school and died in a Bogue Chitto River accident in Louisiana on June 6.

• Following his death, his family and community are honoring his memory with a GoFundMe

• “He was my sunset,” his mother, Shaneika Spicer, said of her late son

Jonis Warren Jr.’s family is paying tribute to the recent high school graduate, days after he died in a Bogue Chitto River accident in Louisiana on June 6.

The 18-year-old was reported missing after he “went under the water and did not resurface” while he was tubing on the river, according to a statement by the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office (WPSO). Divers and sonar equipment were used to locate his remains, which were recovered and taken to the coroner on Monday, June 8.

“That was my sunrise, he was my sunset,” his mother, Shaneika Spicer, told WWL 4.

“When he told me he went under, all I could tell the detective was bring my baby home,” Spicer said. “My heart knew my baby wasn’t coming home the way he left.”

“We cannot compete in no form or fashion with nature,” she said.

The teenager recently graduated from Mandeville High School and had plans to become an aerospace engineer. The second-eldest of five was known for his affinity for anime and Icees.

“In his words, Jonis is a legend. He is a legend, that is my legend,” Spicer said of her caring and protective son.

“He wanted to make the world a better place,” Spicer told WWL 4, adding, “I said, ‘son– it’s just you.’ He said, ‘Yeah, mama– but it starts somewhere.’ “

Stacy Gernhauser, the mother of his girlfriend Scarlet’s friend, created a GoFundMe page to help Spicer with the funeral and memorial costs. Although she “never really met” Jonis, Gernhauser told WWL 4 that she felt creating the fund was “my way of contributing.”

The GoFundMe page described the high school football player as a teen who was “loved by so many people, friends, and family.”

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“His smile lit up every room he walked into, and he brought so many people together,” the donation page read. “Everyone loved Jonis deeply, especially his beloved girlfriend, Scarlett. Their love for each other was beyond words.”

A memorial for Jonis was created by the scene of the accident, with people leaving small objects reflecting who he was. Jonis’ funeral will take place on June 18.

Read the original article on People