Mother of 3 killed in shooting at Jacksonville home remembered at Riverside vigil

Sharmeka Jackson found shot to death the day after her 31st birthday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Loved ones gathered Friday to remember a woman who was found dead last week of an apparent gunshot wound in a Woodstock home.

A candlelight vigil for the woman, identified by family as Sharmeka Jackson, began at 5:30 p.m. at Memorial Park on Riverside Avenue.

Family said Jackson had just celebrated her 31st birthday on July 21, the day before she was found shot to death inside a home on Prospect Street.

Jackson was a mother of three and a certified nursing assistant. She also owned and ran a small business called “Meka’s Creations.”

“There’s no lie about how she loved her kids. There’s no lie about how she loved her family,” said Carla Johnson, Jackson’s cousin.

It’s unclear who lives at the address of the home in Woodstock. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s calls for services records show police have been called to the address 10 times in the past year for auto theft recovery and domestic reasons.

No arrests have been announced in the murder. Jackson’s cousin, Shatera Coakley, told News4JAX they want answers and closure.

“She was working better for her and getting her life together for her kids,” Coakley said. “She was a kind-hearted person. She would give you the shirt off her back if she knew you needed it — she was always laughing and smiling.”

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500. To remain anonymous, contact First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online.