Essien Javon Edokpayi
Age 17
Vacavile, California
Torn away from his loving family
When he was little, he had convinced his brother Ime to cut an arrow in his hair like the character Aang from “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” The enthusiastic anime fan also liked to cook and travel. Ime said the Vacaville High School student was eager, cheerful and always optimistic.
He was planning to celebrate Christmas with his adoptive family. “For me, [he] was not adopted. He was my son born out of love and our combined destiny,” his mother wrote online.
Essien Javon Edokpayi, 17, was allegedly shot by a 39-year-old man after an altercation in Vacaville, California. He died on Christmas Eve in 2018.
