Family seeks justice for teen brothers killed in Sacramento mall shooting

Community advocates and the family of two teens killed during the Sacramento mall shooting are calling for justice.

Brothers 19-year-old Dewayne James Jr. and 17-year-old Sa’Quan Reed-James were fatally shot at Sacramento’s Arden Fair Mall while shopping on Black Friday.

“We just want justice,” said the teens’ aunt, Sharron Jackson during a vigil.

Family representatives during the vigil repeatedly refuted the shooting was motivated by gang alliances, and that the boys were “two leaders” in the San Juan Unified School District.

“They were very well taken care of, well-loved and not deserving of this,” said community advocate Leia Schenk. ” It’s senseless gun violence. It’s scary. These are children.”

Dewayne had recently graduated Rio Americano High School, while Sa’Quan was still attending the Arden Arcade school, where he played football and was active in the school’s Black youth group.

People at the vigil also remembered the Reed brothers as good young men whose family moved from Louisiana to give them a better, safer life in Sacramento.

“I know a lot of times when you look at Black young men, you think thug. You think gang banger,” said Allegra Taylor, community advocate. “These boys were not that. These two were leaders in their school in the San Juan School District.”

The family has started a GoFundMe to help pay for the funeral services in Louisiana.

Investigators say the shooter left the area and they only have a limited description of the suspect.

A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to shooting and the arrest of the suspect(s).