James Bacon, a 25-year-old Black man and father from Winter Garden, Florida, was working to build a better life for his young son. His brother, Kendrick Bacon, said James “just wanted to change his life, get back on track, take care of his son.” His family was planning to get together for the Fourth of July holiday when their lives were shattered.
In the early hours of July 4, 2019, James was out for a walk with his sister. At around 1:45 a.m., near the intersection of West Crown Point Road and Edgeway Drive, they encountered 13-year-old Vamari D. Bostic. According to police, the two had been involved in an ongoing, weeks-long dispute. The encounter escalated, and Bostic shot James in the torso as his sister watched. Winter Garden police officers patrolling nearby heard what they initially thought were fireworks, and then saw James’s sister run toward them screaming, “Someone shot my brother!”
James was rushed to a local hospital, but he was pronounced dead at 2:47 a.m.
Police quickly identified Bostic as the suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest, describing him as armed and dangerous. That afternoon, encouraged by his family, Bostic turned himself in to the authorities. The shooting sent shockwaves through the community, not only for its tragic nature but also for the young age of the accused.
In the midst of her grief, James’s mother, Tysha Brunson, offered a message of forgiveness. "The only thing I can say to you sir, to you baby, I forgive you,” she said, adding that she would pray for Bostic and his family. Bostic’s mother, Delores Bostic, said that the incident was not a “senseless killing” and that her son was not a “stone-cold murderer,” suggesting that a series of events had led to the fatal confrontation.
Vamari Bostic was initially charged with first-degree murder and appeared in juvenile court on July 5, 2019, where he was ordered to be held in juvenile detention. The following month, in August 2019, a grand jury indicted Bostic, who had since turned 14, to be tried as an adult. The charges were adjusted to manslaughter, grand theft, and burglary. The latter charges stemmed from allegations that he had stolen the firearm used in the shooting from a vehicle several days earlier.
In December 2020, Vamari Bostic was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the fatal shooting of James Bacon.
