NORFOLK, Va. — A public "celebration of remembrance" was held Wednesday night, Sept. 13, in honor of Jahari Deon George, the Norfolk State University student killed in a shooting last week.
A news release shared the following details:
Join us as we honor the memory of Jahari Deon George and celebrate his spirit of unity and change. This heartfelt remembrance event will take place on the campus of Norfolk State University, where Jahari's life was touched by the Spartan community.
George was 20 when he was killed in a shooting that took place just outside of the NSU campus late on Saturday, Sept. 2.
"His commanding presence was only eclipsed by his winning personality," the university said in a statement.
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Jahari was a part of many campus organizations, along with acquiring more than 200 hours of community service while in high school working with organizations such as D.C. Central Kitchen, Boys and Girls Club and Avon39, according to the university.
While News 3’s cameras weren’t allowed inside the event, those attending told us it was a very emotional event, honoring George, who family members say was four months shy of his 21st birthday.
“I refuse to have anybody else feel like this,” TeAnna George, Jahari’s mother, said before her son’s memorial service Wednesday night. “We send our kids down here on loan to you, expecting them to come back home the same way we sent them to you, and that’s not the case for us right now.”
George also revealed some details about moments leading up to her son's death.
“Jahari was parked outside of his dorm… doing exactly what he should’ve been allowed to do, which was being a college student enjoying the experience that he talked about so much with us,” George said.
George also told News 3 that Jahari was parked on a street adjacent to his dorm and the dorm's parking lot.
“He was parked on that street due to a parking issue on campus,” TeAnna George said. “If there’s going to be a parking issue, and we know that students are going to use these adjacent streets for overflow parking, then they need to light those side streets up like they do the football stadium to ensure that there’s proper lighting and safety.”
Norfolk city council member JP Paige talked with News 3 about student safety while supporting George's family.
“My primary concern is to get some type of training in place for the students that are on the campus as to behaviors outside of the campus,” Paige said.
NSU student Sterling Bailey knew George as a friend at the university.
“This is something that is tragic, for he was a student that was not in any types of trouble,” Bailey said. “Jahari was a man of intelligence, of love, of friendship, of care. You never saw him angry or mad. He was always a light in the room.”
George said her family's focus now is fighting for change and for jahari.
“We’re not going away, and we’re not going to stop until we get justice for my son,” George said.
A family spokesperson told News 3 that Jahari’s parents are heading back up to Maryland Thursday while funeral plans are in the works.
At last check, Norfolk Police have made no arrests in this case.
The family spokesperson also told News 3 that NSU is helping get transportation for students involved in organizations Jahari took part in on campus to attend his funeral.
