'We're here to love on you today': Prayer vigil helps family of Ocala gun violence victim
In between hugs, tears and comforting words whispered into each of her ears, Phylliss Mulkey spared time Thursday evening to talk about her son.
Ronnie James, known as "P nut," was shot and killed last weekend in Gainesville. Another Ocala man has been arrested and accused of killing James and a second man.
James was a father of seven children, four boys and three girls ages 2 to 15. Mulkey said her son was "funny."
"He always had a smile on his face," said Mulkey. She called it "a million dollar smile."
Approximately 300 people gathered on the property of St. Paul AME Church, 718 NW Seventh St., to release balloons and pay tribute to James. His mother said although her son was born in Gainesville, he lived in Ocala.
About the shooting
Gainesville police officials said James and two other men were shot by 20-year-old Ja'zier Antonio Myers, of Ocala, early Sunday. James and one other man died. The third man is expected to survive his injuries, officers said.
According to police, they were busy with crowd control in the 900 block of West University Avenue shortly before 2:45 a.m. Sunday when they heard multiple gunshots.
Officers located the victims in three separate locations. The first was in front of Checkers at 912 W. University Ave. He was transported to UF Health Shands Hospital, where he died. The second victim flagged down police, and a third was discovered deceased in front of the Bodytech tattoo and piercing studio.
Armed with a gun, Myers was found in a vehicle, police officials said.
Surveillance video showed Myers shooting three people, one of them in the head at close range, Gainesville police said.
The surviving person told authorities he was ordering food at Checkers when he heard two people arguing behind him. Turning around, he saw one person shoot the other in the head. The victim said he ran, but was shot by the shooter. He identified Myers as the triggerman, officers said.
Law enforcement officials said Myers denied shooting anyone, even though he identified himself as the person shown on the surveillance video.
Myers is presently facing charges of murder and attempted murder and is being held at the Alachua County Jail.
Local murders
War Cry 4 Peace, a local organization that for several years has been comforting families of loved ones killed by gun violence, led Thursday's vigil.
Kimberly Pompey Wilkerson, founder and leader of War Cry 4 Peace, knew James. With her voice cracking at times, Wilkerson told the grieving family that "we're here to love on you today." She told them they're not alone.
In an effort to shine a bright light on the devastating consequences of gun violence, War Cry 4 Peace members organized a prayer walk that began July 30 and is expected to continue through the end of the month.
Locally, gun violence shootings have left an empty void in the lives of many families.
Four law enforcement agencies in Marion County — the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Ocala, Belleview and Dunnellon police departments — have investigated 38 murders from January 2022 to July 20, 2023. At least 20 of the victims were killed by gun violence. And of that 20, at least nine were age 18 and younger.
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A message of hope
At the service, Yvonne Raines, whose son Jairah Raines was gunned down in Ocala in 2016, told James' family: "I feel you." She said she knows the pain and hurt they're experiencing.
Raines said when she's feeling down, she calls on God, who has guided her through her sorrow. She said she's grateful that her son's children are part of her life.
Pastors Darrell Tolbert and Octavius Smith both encouraged the audience to get closer to God, love each other, and put aside petty differences.
The men preached unity, and urged people to come to the front to receive God and have a fresh start. Joined by other prayer partners, multiple people came forward for healing and prayer.
James' mother and daughter
The service concluded with prayer, and the crowd gathered to release dozens of colorful balloons into the evening sky.
"All he wanted to do was to smile and make his kids happy," Mulkey said of her son.
Three of James' children — Jer'ni Turner, 14, Jermoni Turner, 13 and Zarionna James, 15 — stood next to their grandmother. Asked what they're going to miss about their father, the girls all said him just being there for them.
The same question was posed to Mulkey. "His smile and him calling me," she said.
Alan Festo of the Gainesville Sun contributed to this report. Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala residents pay tribute to man shot and killed last weekend
