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Jackson Chave

In memory of Jackson Chavez

My life will never be the same. On August 13, 2017, my son was shot and killed just days after his 26th birthday.

Jackson was having a fun day with friends and family. He had been jet skiing, boating and enjoying the outdoors at Cherry Creek reservoir in Aurora, Colorado. It was a place I had fond memories of from my own childhood.

It was 7 p.m., still daylight, the park filled with families — children too. A stranger approached my son, and they got in a fight. The man walked to his backpack, brought out his gun and shot my son.
There, in his brother’s arms, he died.

My son, a surfer from Southern California, was generous, smart, athletic and above all kind. He never had a chance to marry or become a father. He could have been and done so much in life. But a complete stranger stole that from him.

My other son suffers from PTSD. His father and I have worked really hard to just get out of bed and maintain our lives. Yes we have survived. But we are, and always will be, damaged.

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