Jakwan Radford was a 17-year-old Black male from Columbus, Ohio, who attended South High School. Known to friends and family by nicknames like "Quano" and "Kwanie," he was remembered for his generous spirit. "My son didn’t deserve to die like this, he would've given you whatever he had," his father said at a vigil held in his honor.
On the evening of November 24, 2021, the day before Thanksgiving, Jakwan was shot in the Blacklick area of Columbus.
Around 5:00 p.m., officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 7000 block of Norworth Road and found Jakwan suffering from gunshot wounds. Police stated that the shots were fired from a dark-colored Chevy Malibu in what appeared to be a drive-by shooting. Jefferson Township paramedics transported Jakwan to Mount Carmel East hospital in critical condition, but he was pronounced dead just before 6:00 p.m. His death was the 178th homicide in Columbus that year, setting a new record for the city at the time.
In the days following his death, Jakwan's family and friends gathered to remember a life they felt was taken too soon. His father promised that his son would not die in vain, while his aunt led a prayer for healing over "every broken heart, every broken spirit." Another family member spoke directly to the young men at the vigil, pleading with them to consider their future. "You guys are the future of today or tomorrow," the relative said. "If you keep up going on like that what's going to happen? They’ll have no black men left."
The Columbus Division of Police investigated the shooting. On June 9, 2022, authorities charged 18-year-old Imajawon Lamar Johnson with murder in connection with Jakwan's death. The case concluded when Johnson pleaded guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. For his role in the crime, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
