Three years ago Saturday, 13-year-old Jayz Agnew was shot to death outside his home in Prince George’s County while he was raking leaves. The case remains unsolved.
Ever since then, his mother and the community have made sure his memory is not forgotten by hosting an annual community walk.
“I think that the best way to honor him would be to retrace his steps,” said Juanita Agnew, Jayz’s mother.
The march went from Benjamin Stoddert Middle School in Marlow Heights, where Jayz was a student, to his home, where he was gunned down.
“You can have a gun violence awareness walk anywhere, but it wouldn’t be in honor of Jayz,” Agnew said. “These are the steps that he took.”
The theme of this year’s event: our community, our responsibility.
County leaders and Prince George’s County detectives were also in attendance.
“We as a county have to be committed to end and eradicate gun violence in our community,” said Prince George’s County Councilmember Wanika Fisher.
Chief George Nader/Prince George’s County Police: 11:18:03:16 “The men and women of the Prince George’s police department don’t rest,” Said Prince George’s County Police Department Chief George Nader. “When you think we’ve forgotten, we haven’t. When you think we’re not looking, we’re looking. These detectives have been working the last three years to close this case, and I’m confident they’ll do just that.”
Jayz’s loved ones do the walk to honor him but also to remind the community that a killer still needs to be brought to justice.
“He was in the front yard raking leaves. The innocence and pureness of that should make anyone want to say something because it could have been anyone’s child,” Agnew said. “He was not in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was in the front yard doing what he was supposed to do, and he was shot.”
Shortly after Jayz’s death, his mother started a foundation in his name. She also helped pass a law that gives free surveillance cameras to county residents.
Police say there was no video in the area to help them with the investigation into the shooting.
There is still an up to $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in Jayz’s case.
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