JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Family and friends returned to a Westside Burger King on Wednesday to honor Matthew Jackson, an 18-year-old who was killed while working at the restaurant when he tried to break up a fight.
“I’m changing the narrative and want to give back,” said Natasha Jackson, Matthew’s mother. “Even though something very, very big was taken from me, I decided that in my son’s name, I’m gonna give it back to the community.”
Jackson spent Wednesday afternoon at the restaurant with family and friends handing out meals and paying for customer orders.
She called the event “Jackson’s Takeover,” a peaceful action intended to reclaim a place that has been associated with pain for her family.
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“It’s a peaceful takeover because this place symbolized so much pain these past four months that I’m taking it back with love,” she explained.
Jackson’s family paid for meals for anyone who came through the drive-thru or into the restaurant in Matthew’s honor.
It was the first time Matthew’s sister, Kierstan Jackson, had returned to that Burger King since the shooting. Family members said the gathering helped shift grief toward action.
“It’s very inspiring, you know, to see my mom doing it and not her just in the corner crying,” Kierstan said. “And she’s actually bringing some light into it.”
Natasha said Matthew was known to regular customers and often received praise online for his work at the restaurant.
“Most of his customers came through that window, they know him by name,” she said. “He used to get so many good comments on Google reviews because he was just a good person. Serving was his thing. So I felt as though that to honor my son, that would be the right thing to do.”
Jackson’s mother said she plans to continue community work through a foundation she’s calling Matthew’s Legacy of Light.
Police say Dawud Burritt shot and killed Jackson. He was arrested and is in custody at the Duval County Jail awaiting trial. He’s facing first degree murder and attempted murder charges.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 15.