Insets, left to right: Matthew Jackson (GoFundMe) and Dawud Burritt (Jacksonville Sheriff”s Office). Background: The Burger King in Jacksonville, Florida, where Burritt allegedly shot Jackson to death (Google Maps).
A Burger King employee who was set to join the Marines after graduating high school was gunned down in Florida while trying to break up a fight between customers.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded around 8:40 p.m. Saturday to a Burger King on Blanding Road near Collins Road for a shooting. When they arrived, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. Matthew Jackson, 18, died while another man, 33, was rushed to the hospital where he is expected to recover.
Witnesses quickly identified 28-year-old Dawud Burritt as the alleged shooter. Deputies took him into custody on Sunday. He faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder and burglary. According to an arrest report obtained by local CBS affiliate WJAX, the surviving victim told deputies he was at Burger King when Burritt walked inside.
The two had been friends for nearly a decade but had an argument about a year ago and hadn’t spoken since. The victim said he tried to walk up to Burritt and shake hands, but the suspect refused and an argument broke out. Burritt and the victim then started physically fighting.
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Jackson, who was working at the time, tried to break up the fight. But Burritt allegedly pulled out a gun and everyone ran. Witnesses reportedly said they heard two shots. When cops arrived to the scene they found Jackson dead near the drive-thru window and the surviving victim near the back of the restaurant.
Natasha Jackson, the victim’s mother, started a GoFundMe on behalf of her son.
“Matthew was not just my child — he was a light, a protector, and a soul who brought warmth into every room he entered,” she wrote. “Matthew loved to cook, and anyone who tasted his food felt the love he put into it. He cared deeply for the people around him, always showing up in the biggest and smallest ways. If you met him once, you remembered him forever. He was truly loved by everyone who crossed his path.”
He was slated to join the Marines after high school graduation, which was “a reflection of his courage, discipline, and his natural instinct to protect others,” the online tribute said.
Burritt remains at the Duval County Jail without bond. His next court date is set for Dec. 16.
