Family mourns 19-year-old shooting victim

59-year-old man told police he accidentally shot Marvin Smith Jr.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The parents of a young man shot and killed on the Eastside last weekend will say goodbye to their son on Sunday, just days before what would have been his 20th birthday.

The life of Marvin Smith Jr., who police said was killed by a neighbor last Saturday night on East 15th Street, will be honored at 4 p.m. Sunday at New Life Community Church.

His parents said Friday that they want to thank the friends, family and community members who have donated more than $3,000 through a GoFundMe account to help pay for the funeral.

It's a funeral Smith's parents never thought they'd have to plan.

“I love him -- a lot,” Smith's mother, Tonotshia Felton, said through tears Friday.

Felton should be planning her son's 20th birthday on Tuesday. Instead she'll be at the neighborhood church on Sunday, mourning a young man she lovingly called “Junior.”

According to police, ex-felon Frank Cameron, 59, shot Junior in his apartment. He told police it was an accident that happened while Junior was helping him figure out how to use the safety on a handgun. Cameron has been charged with manslaughter.

“Frank came down here over five times that night, trying to lure my son out of the house,” said Junior's father, Marvin Smith Sr. “My son told him no every time. I don’t know what he offered him to come that last time, but he finally went on and went down there. Three minutes later, they heard a gunshot, and my son was dead. There’s no way that can be an accident. No way in America.”

When officers arrived, Cameron was performing CPR on Junior. He told police he got the gun for protection because of crime on the Eastside.

“I thought that keeping him in the house, playing video games, he was safe,” the elder Smith said. “But, as we see, they came and got him out of the house and still killed him.”

Junior was shot and killed three houses down from where he called home.

“I’m not even interested in this block,” Smith said. “I’ll never walk down this block. I know that for a fact.”

But it was on a nearby block Friday that Junior's parents were led in prayer by their ministers, in hopes that they, along with Cameron and his family, will have peace.

That message of hope will continue Sunday, when the pews of New Life Community Church will be filled with those saying their final farewells to an all-to-young life.


About the Authors:

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.