‘Not ready to say goodbye:’ Family member of mass shooting victim prepares for funeral

Family and loved ones prepare to attend funerals for the three people killed in a racially motivated shooting last month at Dollar General.

Jerrald Gallion’s cousin, Jasmine Mable, says it’s not fair that she has to say goodbye. She says Gallion was a good father, friend, and cousin.

“I don’t know how to say goodbye to someone I’ve had with me the last 27 years,” Mable said over tears. She adds on to say, “I don’t feel like I should have to say goodbye. I don’t feel like we should be having to part ways just because of the color of his skin. He didn’t deserve that.”

Three innocent lives were taken last month in a shooting fueled by hate. Now, A.J. Laguerre, Angela Carr, and Jerrald Gallion will be laid to rest this weekend.

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“You read about it, you learn about it, but it’s different when it’s 2023, and it’s at your front door,” Mable said. “Like you don’t realize how serious it is and what’s really going on until you have to bury your family member.

Mable left a note for him at a memorial in front of Dollar General where the tragedy happened.

“Thank God for allowing someone like you to be part of my story,” Mable said. “And vice versa. I love you forever.”

She wants him to be remembered as a great father and a positive person with unconditional love. Now, she wants to keep his name alive.

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“I don’t want this to just be another incident that happened and then a year from now we’ve all moved on with our lives because it was senseless,” Mable said.

As a black mother, she is worried she won’t be able to protect her son from racial discrimination.

“Too many people have died for this cause for us to still be dealing with this in 2023 – for us to still be scared to go to a place as simple as the Dollar General,” Mable said.

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Despite the hate in the killer’s heart, Mable says it’s important to move forward with love. To those who live with hostility towards people of color, she says, “I wish they would have been able to meet someone like ‘Jer’ would have changed their mind completely.”

Galliion’s viewing is Friday, September 8th from 4-8 pm at St. Paul Church of Jacksonville Inc, 3738 Winton Drive. His funeral service is on Saturday, September 9 at 11 a.m.

She created a GoFundMe to help raise money for his family.

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