JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ten months after her teenage son was shot and killed while trying to break up a fight at his workplace at Burger King, a Jacksonville mother is launching the first community outreach event for a foundation she built in his name and honor.
Natasha Jackson will distribute 100 care packages to Jacksonville residents in need Saturday, September 26th at noon, marking the first solo public event for the Matthew’s Legacy of Light Foundation, which she founded in June.
Her son, Matthew Jackson, 18, was killed Nov. 22, 2025, at a Burger King restaurant on Blanding Boulevard in Jacksonville. According to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Matthew was working his shift when he attempted to intervene in a physical altercation between two men inside the restaurant. He was shot and died near the rear drive-thru window.
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Matthew was a senior at Riverside High School and had been scheduled to be sworn into the U.S. Marines the week following his death. A 28-year-old man, Dawud Burritt, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
Natasha Jackson said her son’s lifelong desire to help others inspired the foundation’s mission.
“When my son was alive, we would always get together and drive around and take care of the less fortunate anyway,” said Natasha Jackson. “So his dream was always to be that person, be their liaison and to look for ways to give back to the community.”
The Matthew’s Legacy of Light Foundation focuses on gun violence advocacy, mental health awareness, and youth support. Jackson said she hopes the foundation will eventually operate out of a dedicated facility where young people can access resources and mentorship.
“I hope someone sees my vision to where I can have a facility so those children can actually have a place,” she said. “So now they have that person within that place that they can come to — to get them off the streets.”
Jackson said gun violence prevention is central to the foundation’s work, particularly for young people who lack structured support.
“Sometimes when you take matters into your own hands, either somebody dies or you go to jail,” she said. “What can we do to keep you from going to Z when we need to go to A? I’m trying to build that foundation so that those kids know — hey, I see you, I hear you, and I am here.”
Jackson acknowledged the emotional weight of building an organization while grieving, saying she has approached the process incrementally.
“It’s just one day at a time, one program at a time, one initiative at a time, and one step at a time,” she said.
Saturday’s care package giveaway will be held at 525 North Noonan St. in Jacksonville beginning at noon. The event is free and open to the public.
