Funeral held for 8-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself

Christopher Scurry Jr. was laid to rest at Ararat Baptist Church

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A funeral for the child police say accidentally shot himself while at his grandmother’s home in Volusia County was held Saturday.

Eight-year-old Christopher Scurry Jr. was laid to rest at the Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

During the funeral service, people took about 20 minutes to share thoughts and reflect on Christopher, including his brother, J’nethen Jackson, who spoke through tears saying, “Y’all will never understand the way I feel, watching my brother on the ground.”

Christopher’s brother shared his emotions in front of friends and family during the two-hour funeral service. Police said Christopher accidentally shot himself with a stolen gun while at his grandmother’s house in Volusia County. Family friend and CEO of Hurting Families with Children in Crime, Linda Dayson, said there’s a lot to learn from this accident.

“It could have happened anywhere,” Dayson said. “But, I always tell parents to take at least an hour out of your day to spend time with your child to listen to them.”

Christopher’s mother, Davina Gooden, told News4Jax she hopes something good can come out this.
News4Jax asked Dayson how this family moves forward.

“Well, I’m going to tell you this, I know his grandmother is a great grandmother. Not only is she a firefighter, but she’s a great grandmother,” Dayson said. “But, at this point in time, the only thing that we need to do is continue to keep praying and to thank God for this baby’s 8 years of life that God allowed him to be on earth.’”