Mother of East St. Louis football star killed at party files wrongful-death suit
A Belleville woman has filed a 70-page civil lawsuit in Madison County Circuit Court against 12 people involved in a Venice house party where her son was hit by a stray bullet and killed in 2019.
The 48 counts allege negligence and liability related to the death of Jaylon McKenzie, a football star who already was getting national press and college scholarship offers at age 14.
Defendants include the owner of the home where the party was held; her grandson; named and unnamed people hired to provide security; and named and unnamed people who allegedly fired guns at the party, including three who face weapons charges.
The lawsuit also names a fourth person whose charges in connection with the shooting hadn’t been reported by media. Dedrick J. Dillard, 23, was charged on Sept. 18, 2020, with one count of mob action/violence and one count of obstruction of justice/destroying evidence, according to court records.
“I’ll never have closure,” said Jaylon’s mother, Sukeena Gunner, 44, a former schoolteacher who now operates a foundation in her son’s honor to help with youth development.
“I just want whoever was involved in the death of my baby to be held accountable. ... No lawsuit, no amount of money will bring my child back.”
The lawsuit asks for damages in excess of $50,000 for each count, the maximum that can be sought in filings under jurisdictional limits. It will be up to a jury to determine the amount of any award.
The shooting occurred on May 4, 2019, at a home in the 600 block of Third Street owned by Celestine Williams, a Venice alderwoman who acknowledged allowing her grandson, Darrien Williams, then 18, to host an after-prom party.
Neighbors estimated 400 to 500 people showed up for the party. The lawsuit states that 200 to 500 paid to attend.
Celestine Williams was Darrien Williams’ guardian, and he lived with her at the time, according to the lawsuit. She couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.
“We had a party last year and there weren’t any problems, so when he asked to have a party this time, I said OK,” she told the Belleville News-Democrat in 2019. “It was a party so the kids could have a good time. They do not have any place here to go. There’s not much in Venice for them to do.”
Four of six alleged shooters named
Jaylon had attended Central Junior High School in Belleville before transferring to Mason-Clark Middle School in East St. Louis in the spring of 2019 with the intent of playing football for the East St. Louis Senior High School Flyers.
Jaylon went to the Venice party after an eighth-grade dance. He was a good student who hadn’t been in any trouble, according to Gunner.
The lawsuit alleges that the Williamses advertised the party to the general public, served alcohol to minors, failed to provide adequate security, allowed guns on the premises and otherwise put guests at risk, despite knowing that multiple parties in the past had resulted in underage drinking, reckless discharge of firearms and injury.
The lawsuit refers to 235 ILCS 5/6-16, an Illinois state law that prohibits anyone from selling or serving alcohol to people under 21.
“Jaylon is exactly the type of individual that 235 ILCS 5/6-16 is designed to protect,” the lawsuit states. “The incident that resulted in Jaylon’s injuries and death is exactly the type of incident that (the law) is designed to protect against and Jaylon’s injuries and death are exactly the types of injuries and outcomes that (the law) is designed to avoid.”
The lawsuit alleges that six people under 21 at the party were in an intoxicated state when they “instigated and escalated” a fight that resulted in them “negligently and recklessly” shooting guns into the crowd.
One of the bullets hit Jaylon, who died on May 5, 2019.
Three men have been charged in Madison County Circuit Court with aggravated discharge of a firearm in connection with the party, including Maurice K. Dickerson, now 21, charged June 12, 2019; Larrion D. Shelby, 21, charged Sept. 9, 2020; and Jaylen M. Staten, 20, charged April 28. All are defendants in the civil lawsuit.
Staten also has been charged with one count of reckless discharge of a firearm and one count of aggravated unlawful use of weapons.
The lawsuit names Dillard as a defendant, as well as two unnamed shooters, referred to as John Doe 3 and John Doe 4.
Two of four security guards identified
The lawsuit states that Celestine Williams hired four people to provide security for the party, including Terry Hawthorne, Kendrick Lewis and two unnamed people referred to as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, who were supposed to be checking for weapons.
The lawsuit alleges that the security guards were unqualified and failed to keep guns from being carried onto the premises.
“(The Williamses) advertised and promoted the fact that there would be security at the May 4 party for the purpose of convincing the general public that (it) would be safe and to thereby increase the number of people from the general public who would pay money to attend,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that those in charge of the party failed to adequately monitor, supervise or control it; set restrictions, properly screen guests or organize parking in a way that would avoid excessive delays by emergency responders.
Jaylon had begun with the Belleville Little Knights football organization at age 7 and continued with the East St. Louis Junior Flyers. His talent attracted the attention of college recruiters, who already had offered him scholarships to attend University of Illinois and University of Missouri.
An October 2018 issue of Sports Illustrated declared Jaylon one of “six teens who will rule the future of sports.”
The wrongful-death lawsuit was filed on May 4. Gunner is being represented by Emery Reusch and Todd Nisssenholtz, of Cofman Townsley in St. Louis.
The attorneys didn’t immediately return a call for comment.
The lawsuit concludes by stating that actions taken by those in charge of the 2019 party resulted not only in Jaylon’s physical pain and death but also the family’s grief, loss of companionship and mental suffering.
“I struggle every day,” Gunner said Thursday, adding that she would trade any amount of money to have her son back. “I struggle every single day, just to survive. ... It affects your mind. It affects your body. It affects everything about you and your life when you’re trying to survive without your child.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2021 at 10:26 AM.
