Julian “JuJu” Keel should be in the first weeks of his senior year of high school playing football, the sport he loved. Instead, he’s being mourned by his mother and many others after the 16-year-old was shot to death in June.
“Julian was an exceptional young man, and we were robbed,” said Adrien Lake Watson, Keel’s mother. “People all over are planning for graduations and they’re planning for senior pictures and they’re planning for prom, but we don’t have that option. We don’t have that opportunity, because Julian’s life was snatched, robbed over senseless violence.”
She is now committed to working against gun violence for the rest of her life. “If it’s the last thing I do, I’m cleaning up this community,” she said.
Watson and her attorneys announced Friday they plan to file a lawsuit against Colonial Life and its parent company, Unum, which owned and operated the venue where Keel was killed.
A spokesperson from Unum issued the following statement in response to Friday’s announcement,” We extend our condolences to the victim’s family and continue to cooperate with local law enforcement as they investigate this incident, which was not related to Colonial Life operations.”
Keel, 16, who was a rising senior at W.J. Keenan High School, was killed early June 3 after large groups gathered for a graduation party at the 1400 block of Colonial Life Boulevard, police said. He was shot in the parking lot of Roll-Out Wangz, Eggrollz and Thangz bar and restaurant, police said.
The Keel family is represented by attorneys with the Strom Law Firm, including former U.S. Attorney Pete Strom and civil rights attorney Bakari Sellers.
Watson and the attorneys argue that Keel’s death could have easily been prevented had the venue hosting the graduation party taken steps to implement simple safety precautions.
“What has to stop is people paying $100 to $200 to have these big parties with absolutely no security,” said Sellers. “These large businesses and corporations turn a blind eye, and while you have the blood that flows through their streets, they continue to reap the benefit without actually doing things that are necessary to safely secure those premises.”
Sellers said there were a number of calls and complaints about security at the location where Keel was shot and killed before June, and nothing was done.
Keel, affectionately known as “JuJu,” was a “God filled loving young man” who played football, golf, ran track, and wrestled, according to Watson.
“He loved his family, he loved his brother, he loved his nana ... but at the end of the day, you know he loved football.”
More than 50 rounds were fired from at least four different guns, police said. Keel was trying to leave when he was shot in the upper body, according to police.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook announced the arrest of two suspects Wednesday — Tonie Wilson, 20, and a 16-year-old juvenile. Both were charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature. The juvenile was also charged with possession of a firearm under 18.
Watson, Sellers and Strom praised Holbrook and his department for their relentless efforts in securing the arrests, as well as 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson.
“I want to give a special shout-out to the chief of the Columbia Police Department and all those law enforcement officers who worked diligently with JuJu’s mom,” Sellers said. “I (also) want to give a shout-out to Byron Gipson and the solicitor’s office, because together, we’re all standing up making sure that we protect our children.”
In honor of Keel, Watson said she’s started a nonprofit organization, “Ju’stice,” and scholarship fund in JuJu’s honor, who, was striving to become an engineer. “Ju’stice” was created to provide support to grieving families of murdered children, while working to end youth gun violence, according to a news release.
“Out of this tragedy, I’ve had to turn this pain into some type of purpose I’m passionate about,” Watson said. “We’ve started a non profit ... called Julian’s Justice. We can’t have any more moms and dads, baby brothers and granddads sitting on the front pew at a church crying over their child, not on my watch. Justice doesn’t stop here, and it will definitely not stop with me.”
In addition, Watson said her family have started a scholarship fund with the University of South Florida’s engineering department.
“We’ve created GoFundMe for this endowed scholarship, and we ask that if you all want to donate, please, because Julian wanted to be an engineer.
“We’re going to clean up these streets,” Watson said. “And if you are a community leader and I’ve reached out and you’ve said nothing, then you are hindering our strengths at being better. You’re on the clock.”
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