Kamarjay Shaw, 14, was “a wonderful young teen and a joy to anyone he came around,” according to an online fundraiser his family has launched to help pay for his funeral.
Kamarjay was shot in eastern Lawrence on Saturday. He was taken to the hospital, where he died, according to Lawrence police. Few details about the shooting have been released to the public, but police had a suspect in custody as of Sunday afternoon.
“His smile and charm will forever live on, at the young age of fourteen he touched the lives of those around him,” the fundraiser page, organized by Jawaun Johnson, reads. “He leaves behind family and friends that his light will shine on.”
Kamarjay enjoyed football and basketball, creating music, “being adventurous” and bringing joy to himself and others, according to the page.
“Kamarjay loved to learn new things that helped him grow and have a deeper perspective,” the page states. “He enjoyed creating videos to express himself and make others smile and laugh.”
He was not a current student at Lawrence High School but had connections to the school, where extra mental health resources and a bigger law enforcement presence are planned Monday, The Budget reported Sunday evening.
The Dowdell and Shaw family is asking for support from those who are able to give to help cover the boy’s funeral.
“We want to give Kamarjay Shaw the memorial he deserves, to honor his memory and say our last goodbyes,” the page says. “… We need to raise this amount by April 8th in order to be able to afford the funeral service.”
The online GoFundMe page can be found at this link. As of 8:30 p.m. Sunday, it had raised about $3,000 of its $10,000 goal.
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