Even at 14, ‘He made impossible things possible.’ L.J.’s death devastates Burton community

The sudden and inexplicable death of a 14-year-old boy from Burton sent shockwaves of grief across Beaufort County and beyond. For many who knew him best, one of the hardest reminders has been his absence on the soccer field.

Jerrieme “L.J.” Washington was fatally shot in a senseless drive-by shooting on New Year’s Day at his home on Castle Rock Road.

He was playing a video game in the living room when a fatal bullet took his life.

A community comes together

L.J.’s family, friends and teammates shared memories of his boundless kindness, infectious smile and constant positivity on and off the field. He spent about half of his short life as an active member of the local soccer organization Club Beaufort de Fútbol, beginning when he was seven years old.

A special scrimmage was organized Thursday evening at the former Beaufort County fairgrounds, only a half-mile from the scene of Monday’s fatal shooting. About 25 current members and club alumni — some returning from international training programs or collegiate teams — gathered in the field after dark to show support and seek answers to unanswerable questions.

Imer Hernandez, founder and director of Club Beaufort, said L.J. was “probably the smallest kid on the team” when he joined — but his unshakable positive attitude was a vital asset from the first day he walked onto the field.

“He’s like your assistant coach,” Hernandez said of L.J.’s positive impact on the club. “You don’t have to say many words of comfort to the players when you have a player that is saying it on the field.”

There’s no shortage of memories displaying L.J.’s character: helping his teammates with their schoolwork, flashing an optimistic smile just seconds after missing a goal, his ability to make new friends at every practice and game he attended. “He made impossible things possible,” Hernandez said.

At one point, the coach noticed that L.J. didn’t always have a ride home after the club’s practices. Hernandez pitched in, as many in the community did, and offered a lift. At times, the ride took a detour as the two began a tradition of occasional post-practice ice cream at Bruster’s in Beaufort.

“I consider him like my son,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez recalled a special moment on the trip back from a summer game, when he asked L.J. what professional soccer team he dreamed of playing on. The boy responded quickly: the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“I said, ‘You know, there’s a famous player [from the LA Galaxy] that looks just like you,’” Hernandez responded. When he looked up a picture of former pro Cobi Jones, L.J. was ecstatic — he begged his coach to take a picture of the two side-by-side.

In the wake of the tragedy on New Year’s Day, Hernandez wrestled with the decision of canceling the club’s upcoming soccer matches, which are organized twice a week during the off-season. But after hearing from team members and parents, he realized the meetup could help the club work through their grief — giving teammates a chance to talk about L.J., remember him, and bond over the sport that brought them all together.

Before the whistle went off Thursday evening, teammates passed around and signed a soccer ball, which would accompany L.J.’s grave at his funeral on Saturday before being given to his mother.

Rowan Rickard, 12, played in the scrimmage after driving from Philadelphia with his father to attend L.J.’s funeral. The two boys became friends through Club Beaufort, where L.J.’s soccer skills earned him the nickname “The Flying Ninja.”

“Every time the ball was in the air, he’d always fly for it,” Rickard said of L.J. “He was very energetic. Every time he had the ball, he did something great with it.”

Rickard said he’d miss L.J.’s sense of humor and their time playing video games together.

Leading the club through the death of their beloved teammate has been “really hard,” Hernandez said. “You have no answers. I just have to pray and ask God for the right words, to be strong and to talk to [the kids].”

By 2020, gun violence had surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for American children. Reflecting on Beaufort County’s share of the nationwide epidemic, Hernandez implored local parents to act as role models and invest as much time as possible in their children.

“We’re losing so many kids every day,” he said. “It’s getting worse. It’s getting out of hand, and it all starts somewhere.”

As of Friday, no suspects had been identified in connection with Monday’s fatal gunfire. Based on the crime scene, investigators from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office believe the shooting was a targeted incident on the teen’s home.

L.J.’s funeral will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cross Community Church, preceded by visitation hours beginning at 9 a.m. Graveside services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Members of Club Beaufort are encouraged to wear their soccer uniforms to the services.

Community members have organized a meal train and an online fundraising effort for L.J.’s family, the latter of which had raised more than $40,000 as of Friday night.

“The community has been so supportive,” Hernandez said. “It was a big lesson for me. I didn’t know how much love a kid can build in a community.”