Da'Qwan Jones-Morris, Victim Of St. Paul Gun Violence, Immortalized With Henry Sibley High Scholarship
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A teenage victim of St. Paul's deadly gun violence problem last year will have his memory live on in a special way.
Da'Qwan Jones-Morris was shot the death last November. The Henry Sibley High School senior, who played basketball and football, is getting a scholarship in his name.
In a packed gymnasium, the Henry Sibley boys' basketball team faced their rival South St. Paul, a game in which the Warriors bench was clearly missing a certain level of excitement.
"Last year, [Da'Qwan] was a really good bench person. He was always getting everyone hyped up and all that, and this year we know that would have really helped, too. He would have been one of the only seniors," junior basketball player Joey Hazzard said.
Da'Qwan was revered by his friends and teammates for his contagious personality. Many on the team and in the crowd wore T-shirts with pictures of Da'Qwan, as well as the words "Long Live Qwannie," which was his nickname. His death still weighs heavily on his teammates.
"He's just the person who brings you up no matter how you're feeling. So to lose that is pretty tough. but I know it brought the team together," said junior basketball player Cameron Latvis.
A new mission is bringing the whole school and community together. During halftime, students collected money in the crowd for a scholarship in DaQwan's name. They also sold raffle tickets to raise funds.
"I thought this would be a great way to honor my son," Monica Jones, Da'Qwan's mother, said.
Jones came up with the scholarship idea. She said the recipient would have to be a student of color in need of financial help, but also someone who exudes her son's qualities.
Jones said Da'Qwan was dedicated to going to school, even if he wasn't feeling well.
"They would definitely need to be active in the community in some type of volunteering or engaged in their church community," Jones said.
And because her son died from gun violence, Jones said applicants would have to explain their plan for prevention and raising awareness about the deadly problem.
For his teammates, the scholarship is more than just a means to help someone pay for college. It's about Da'Qwan's legacy continuing on at Henry Sibley long after those who know him graduate.
"Just knowing that he's going to be living on forever, and we're not going to forget him here," Hazzard said.
And they made sure his mother knew that, too, giving her Da'Qwan's basketball jersey before the start of the game. That gesture was an emotional surprise for her.
"Overwhelmed in a good way by the love and support of his classmates and his friends," Jones said.
She wants the first scholarship recipient to a be a Henry Sibley student, ideally in the 2020 class just like her son. After that, she would like there to be multiple recipients across the Twin Cities.
At the end of the game, it was announced $1,000 was raised for the scholarship fund.