On the evening of April 30, 2017, a burst of violence shattered the night on 16th Avenue South in Phenix City, Alabama, claiming the life of 18-year-old Jarvis Demarcus Ford. An African American male, Ford was a resident of the very street where he was fatally shot. Rushed from the scene to Midtown Medical Center in nearby Columbus, Georgia, medical professionals were unable to save him from the grievous injuries he had sustained.
He was a former student of Central High School and was known by friends and family for his happy and outspoken nature, a young man with a good heart who was deeply loved by his family.
In the wake of the shooting that cut short a young life, the community was left to mourn the loss of a son, a father to his daughter, Kyleigh Gresham, a brother, and a friend. His funeral was held on May 6, 2017, where those who knew him gathered to pay their final respects and remember the young man whose life had been so tragically extinguished. Tributes of candles and memories were lit in his honor, a testament to the impact he had on those around him.
The investigation into the death of Jarvis Ford led to the arrest of 47-year-old Richard Long. He was taken into custody and booked into the Russell County Jail in connection with the fatal shooting. The circumstances that led to the shooting and the motive behind the tragic event were not immediately disclosed in the available reports. The community was left to grapple with the senseless violence that had taken one of its own.
