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Jakorian Lavelle Smith

Age 15

Mobile, Alabama

Football player, future soldier, a bystander

A member of the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at his school, he wore his uniform with pride. The fourth of 15 children, he played football for Blount High School in Eight Mile, Alabama.

On Christmas Eve, two adults fought and shot into a unit at the Carondelet Apartments, where he lived. He was caught in the crossfire.

Jakorian Lavelle Smith, 15, was shot and killed on Dec. 24, 2018 in Mobile, Alabama. “It wasn’t Christmas for me,” his mother said. "My baby is in a cold morgue. My baby has no life in him. My baby is gone."

By Sara Stemmler · Age 16
Meet the Reporters

More than 300 siblings

Lorenzo Moore-Vaughn

About to start his senior year

Jontae Billups-Brooks

An athlete and a music lover

Lia Lin Collier

A light, “unrelenting joy” extinguished

Raydale Hill

Can no longer create his music

Ryan Amadeo Dela Cruz

Gone, two weeks shy of graduation

Jeremiah Ascencio

Last moments spent cradling his brother

Kameron Johnson

He dreamed of college and cars

Peyton Nicole Hurt

Still helping others, even in death

Izabella Marie Helem

Brother shoots his sister by accident

Yaleah Hall

Sister, daughter, dancer, since day one

Caydence Nicole Painter

Reading, dancing, playing. Siblings shot together.

Elisha Amon Cole

Dreaming big, working on his portfolio

Jayden Fondeur

His older brother found him first

Rashiya Melton

Joins brother, leaves behind her twin

Rashaad Izil Wisher

One brother buried. Then another one.

Ty'Dre Shyheim Hailey

She didn’t know it was real

Jaquincy Jawan Ross

Wanted to buy her a scooter

Ramand Kassadine Davis

Happy in his SpongeBob SquarePants jammies

Shondricka J'Nay Adams

Celebrating one night, gone the next

Elijah Foster

Dope Boy Gang. One less member.