Matthew Jackson, an 18-year-old Black/African American male, was working his evening shift at a Burger King on Blanding Boulevard near Collins Road on Jacksonville’s Westside on November 22, 2025, when the shooting that took his life occurred. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers were called to the restaurant around 8:30–8:40 p.m.
and found Jackson and another man suffering from gunshot wounds; Jackson died at the scene, while the second victim was rushed to a hospital and was expected to survive. A senior at Riverside High School, he balanced school with his job at the fast-food restaurant and was preparing to enter the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation, a plan his mother described as a reflection of his discipline, courage, and desire to protect others. Family tributes on a fundraising page remember him as a “light” and “protector” who loved to cook for others and made a lasting impression on everyone who met him.
Investigators and witnesses say the violence began with an argument inside the restaurant between 28-year-old customer Dawud Burritt and another man, identified in at least one report as Ray Cummings. The disagreement escalated into a physical fight, drawing Jackson’s attention while he was on duty behind the counter. Police reports and media accounts indicate that he stepped in to break up the confrontation and restore order when Burritt allegedly pulled a gun and opened fire. Jackson was struck and collapsed near the drive-thru area, while the other man was also shot but managed to survive his injuries.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, detectives quickly gathered surveillance footage and statements from witnesses at the scene, which led them to identify Burritt as the suspected gunman. He was arrested the following morning and booked into the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility in Duval County. Authorities and court records indicate that Burritt faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder for Jackson’s killing, attempted murder for the wounding of the second victim, and at least one burglary or armed burglary-related count; he is being held without bond while awaiting further court proceedings, with a hearing currently scheduled in mid-December 2025.
In the days after the shooting, Jackson’s death resonated deeply across Jacksonville. Memorial pages and obituary notices described a close-knit family grieving the sudden loss of a son whose future had seemed wide open. Riverside High classmates spoke publicly about their shock and sadness, recalling his kindness, sense of humor, and the way he encouraged others at school. Online tributes and local coverage emphasized that he had “big dreams and a bright future,” highlighting both his upcoming military plans and the pride his family took in his work ethic. A gun-violence memorial site recorded his name and the date of his death among Jacksonville’s recent homicide victims, with dozens of virtual candles lit in his honor, underscoring how a single act of violence in a neighborhood restaurant left a lasting void for his loved ones and community.
