Posted on 02/23/2026 1:01:49 PM PST by algore
A grief-stricken mother has said she is proud of her 16-year-old son, who was shot and killed by a Florida deputy while he was allegedly armed and shoplifting.
Jairus Jones was gunned down by an off-duty Osceola County officer during a Walmart shoplifting incident on Thursday, Sheriff Chris Blackman said in a press release.
'My son Jairus, who everyone knew and loved as JJ, was a bright beautiful light in this world,' Naporsha Jones Spruill told WESH.
'As his mother, I am beyond proud of the young man he was becoming. He was full of life, full of love, and full of dreams.
'Our hearts are shattered, but we want the world to remember JJ for his smile, his energy, and the love he gave so freely.'
The deputy, working off-duty as Walmart security, was alerted that three people were trying to steal.
Upon confronting the three suspects, he noticed one was armed with a handgun.
Jones allegedly tried to run from the deputy and rushed toward other customers, prompting the officer to open fire, according to the OCSO.
Investigators said the off-duty officer feared for the lives of other shoppers, prompting him to shoot, per FOX35.
Sheriff Blackmon wouldn’t confirm if the suspect aimed at the deputy but said surveillance video had been obtained.
The other two shoplifting suspects - a juvenile and a man in his 20s - have been identified but not publicly named, Channel 9 reported. They were not arrested or charged.
'Wherever we go, we're there to ensure the safety of the public. That's our number one goal - they have to feel safe and be safe,'
'If there's a guy running with a gun, we have to take action... to save their lives,'
Jones' mother still has questions about what happened, per WESH.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The mother does not seem very grief-stricken over the loss of her son...
The world has lost a future Brain Scientist. Or was it Rocket Surgeon?
She looks white in that pic by the car.
Click. Yup.
No white woman is named “Naporsha Jones Spruill”
she IDENTIFIES as white. she not whi’
She was probably her son’s Shoplifting Mentor.
—
Yep.
Shame his mother didn’t teach him, “Thou shalt not steal.” That seems pretty clear to me. He won’t be answering to anyone here.
Play stupid gsmes . . . .
Play stupid gsmes . . . .
Well Lee, we don’t know that.
I have a couple wealthy friends. Kids were taught right/wrong, kindness and availed every opportunity to become regular citizens but, the kids went off in a direction that completely out of phase with their upbringings.
Sadly, the parent are now part of a club they didn’t want have membership in and they were good parents.
“ who was shot and killed by a Florida deputy while he was allegedly armed and shoplifting”
Why was the Florida deputy shoplifting?
“He was full of life, love and full of dreams”.
Now he’s full of bullets.
I've seen really good kids come from horrible situations.
I've seen parents do everything right and try really hard, and the kid still makes the decision to go wrong.
And he also took freely.
Bad move.
Reminds me of the old poem “Kentucky Larnin’” about a little colored boy who steals a watermelon and brings it home.
His mammy is shocked and about the next dozen stanzas are how “You have shamed your good Christian Mammy!”
“And because you stole it you can’t have none!” then splits it open.
“WY IT’S GREEN!”
The next stanzas are a lesson on how to tell a green melon from a ripe melon if you are going to steal one.
I have looked and looked and cannot find a copy of that poem anywhere. I met an old woman who knew every stanza of it 60 years ago.
My son did not/does not shoplift!
I taught him the difference between right and wrong!
AMD, I taught him the difference between good and evil!
Good work papa!
But didja see Post 9? “Naporsha” did make me wonder, for sure.
I never heard that one.
Nowadays, a ‘watermelon’ is sometimes code for somebody who is all for Green causes on the outside ‘Save The Earth!”, while inside, their ultimate goals are full bore Red Communist!
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