Jelani Maunda Whittington, age 37

Lost to gun violence on December 1, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina.

Photo sources:

News sources:

402 candles have been lit for Jelani.
Light a candle for Jelani.

The people with the most candles in the past 24 hours are featured on our homepage.

Ask your friends to light a candle or come back tomorrow to light another candle for Jelani.

You can add to Jelani's profile:

  • Nickname:
    2 Jay
    1 Pana
    3 Drop
    1 gecko
    1 hero
    1 papachoo
  • Number of children:
    1 all GIRLSS
    1 all his girls are BEAUTIFUL
  • Personality:
    1 Hilarious
    4 Straight up
    1 Pure Heart
    1 Funny
    1 Sacrastic Laugh 💓
    1 he was truly sincere
    1 Cared For a lot of people
    1 Very Honest
    1 Crazy 😂😂
    1 REALIST MAN EVERRRRR
    3 Irreplaceable ♥️
    1 GOOD FATHER
    1 Great Friend
    1 Unforgettable
    1 lovable
    1 weird
    1 funny
    2 concieted
    1 SWEET
    2 brutally honest
    1 A big goofball
    1 AWESOME!!!!!
    1 devoted
    1 strong
    1 best father ever ❤️
  • Occupation:
    2 my dadd
  • Workplace:
  • Schools attended:
    2 John Jay High School for Criminal Justice
    2 School of Hard Knocks
  • Comments:
    3 Loved His Girls All 3 and his Grandbaby. He'd always talk about his babies 💓
    4 This Isn't a Goodbye Handsome, I'll see Your Beautiful Face soon ❤
    2 Dad I come here everyday to light a candle for you I’ll never miss a day 🤞🏿
    1 I love you ugly 😘
    1 I love ur whole soul dad 🤍
    1 I lit the 100th candle for you daddy 💙💙💙 - jadeyyyy
    1 Damn my G I'm definitely missing your voice😪and texts! May you Rest In Paradise🙏🏾
    1 DADDDDD I LOVE YOU 😘😘😘🤍🤍🤍💙💙👨‍👧👨‍👧👨‍👧👨‍👧👨‍👧👨‍👧💙💖💖💖🤍🤍😘😘
    2 Damm Bro.. FRFR.. I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON N STARS YO!!
    1 Miss you so much dad ‘ u was really not one of them ! 🤞🏿🤞🏿💙
    2 💙💜💙 To my core, I hear you, like spirits of the sun, glistening my brother..💙💜💙
    1 Soon to be birthday boy 🍾 BIG 38 !
    2 A month today dad 😣😣
    1 Still here every day dad ! 🤍
    1 HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY ♥️
    1 Happy Birthday Bro!! 🥃🎉🥃💕
    1 I love uuuuuuu
    3 I lit the 200th candle for you daddy just like how I did the 100th .. we connected forever 🤞🏾
    1 Thank you for being you. Watch over our baby girl. 🙏🏾💕
    1 I miss you so much why you
    1 Bro, i love u so much Yo!!
    1 daddyyyyyyyyyyyy i miss uuuuuuu btw this is jaiden
    1 I miss u so much dad 😔 why son why I need to talk to you
    1 which baby was in the picture in the yellow outfit
    1 DADDYYYYYY COME BACKKKKKKKKK PLSSSSSSSSSSS
    1 hi jada its me jaiden
    1 I got all I need when I got you and I
    1 Is it too late to tell you that Everything means nothing if I can't have you?
    1 I can't sleep I keep dreaming bout you
    1 Wishing I could hear you say my name
    1 I'll be right here for you
    1 theres only 1 thing 2 do 3 words 4 you- i love you
    1 Hi jaiden ♥️
    2 my mommy says i can call after school jadeyyyyy
    1 hey daddy - jaidenbug
    2 goodmorning everyone
    2 i feel asif he can control the sun because whenever its raining i still feel sunshine
    2 if i had to choose between loving you and breathing id use my last breath to say i love you
    1 there are a lot of things I’d change about my life except one thing, my dad
    2 and my mom dang it except my fam
    1 I LOVE THIS MAN
    1 good morning peeps
    1 THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!!
    1 WHY WHY WHY
    1 here is my valentine for you daddy
    1 without you; I have nothing; no joy, no hope, no love and no emotion; my world is you. I love you.
    2 -Jaidenbug
    3 Why do we keep taking father’s away from their children
    4 END GUNVIOLENCE we cannot lose any more black men in America
    1 Yeah nothin' can change what you mean to me
    1 It's in my head, darling, I hope That you'll be here when I need you the most
    1 Love u daddy forever my best friend 4L ! Gang bout u no cap 🤞🏾😆
    1 U really was not one of them everyone miss u so much 🥰
    1 as tough as he was whenever he saw his family he just went completly soft
    1 You're a good, good Father
    1 "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you."
    1 Love is a pain in my soul that crys out. Miss you more than ever.. To the core my brother. 💕💕
    1 hi jadah
    2 dude my mom still has his messenger and i went and literally said hi
    1 Each day that goes by i miss the laughs the most
    1 I love u the most forever
    2 Almost at 300 candles and u haven’t even been gone 300 days , lol I love u
    2 i wuv u
    2 i want to sing a song for you
    2 a.b c ya later
    2 d e f g im gonna miss ya
    2 h i have to go now
    2 j k bye bye now
    2 l m n o i had a good time
    2 pq r you gonna miss me
    2 s t u are my best friend
    2 vwx y...
    2 BECAUSE I LOVE YOU ....
    1 I LIT THE 295 CANDLE BRO!!! NOT WHAT I WAS REACHING FOR, BIT ITS OKAY. LOVE YOU BRO!!!
    2 298!!!!!! 2 more
    2 till 300
    2 299 o-m...JESUS
    4 if ALL his candles were in a building that building would BURN
    8 wheres jadah when you need her to light candle 300
    4 1 more! 1 more! 1 more! Light it ALREADY!!!!!!!!!
    1 I lite the 300th. candle.. I miss our talks n laughs.
    2 301 - jadah 😒❤️
    2 hi everyone
    2 302 i lit it
    1 hiiiiii
    1 im working on a song for him
    1 im done with the song
    1 here it is
    1 im wishing every day i could see your face
    1 my heart is where you belong
    1 and i long to see you smile
    1 cause its not fair to me
    1 its not fair to you
    1 cause now you cant do the things you wanna do
    1 its not fair to me
    1 its not fair to all the people who knew you like i do....
    1 i do
    1 im wishing i could hear you call...
    1 again but...
    1 im wishing that i was near you and your smile shines all the way..
    1 to space
    1 you make me happy
    1 and im missing everything that you do
    1 theres nothing to prove when im next to you
    1 i can see what i want to do
    1 theres nothing to prove when your next to me
    1 i see what i wanna be
    1 i look in the mirror
    1 and i smile
    3 its like your right in front of me
    2 -jaidenbug
    1 it doesnt matter where you live at.....
    1 my heart is always your home-jaidenbug
    2 Hi Jay_Bird.. I seen a Blue Jay the other day n i knew that was you.. hey niecee's
    1 I miss u so much .
    1 U the one I love the most ♥️
    1 HIIII
    1 im a star hes my night sky
    1 hi my
    1 330 🤞🏾♥️ - jadeyyyy
    1 ♥️♥️♥️♥️ I love u
    1 4 months today 😩
    1 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😊😊😊 love you
    1 💌💌💌💌💌💌 i love u
    1 😍 🎁 ☀ 🌛 🌈☔⛄🍬🍬🍬🍬😄
    1 which means
    1 my love is my present to you
    1 i love you in the day in the night
    1 in sunshine rain and snow
    1 your sweet like candy
    1 you make me happy- jaidenbug
    1 your the only 1 for me i love you 2 youll never number three to me
    1 Damn dad this still so unbelievable. 😔
    2 dad- i sent you a balloon i love you😍😍😍😍😍
    1 this is just unbeliveable and just really wrong i cant understand why this happened...
    2 i cried yesterday... i hate this situation so much....😣😣😣😢😢
    1 I love you forever
    1 Luv U 4 life YO!!
    1 I seen you shooting stars off the other night..
    1 I’m sorry daddy I love u the most 😪♥️
    1 Send me a sign that this is not true.
    1 ♥️🤞🏾
    1 👨‍👧♥️🤞🏽
    1 love you for freeeee 🤞🏽
    1 Miss our talks bro.. Luv U YO!!!
    1 💔 love you the most
    1 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤💋🗽
    1 Still here dad ❤️ I love u for freeee 🥺🖤
    2 Heart so broken 💔 I love forever ♥️
    1 it's about to be a year and I miss or long talks.. OMG😥
    1 luv u big head💞💋🌚🌙🌌
    1 almost a yar i judt want you to know that i love you so much. and i still think abiut you everyday\
    1 3days and it will be a yr. Miss you bro..
    1 Ill always be broken hearted without you
    1 I miss you more than life itself. Im grateful but miss you so much brother.. I luv
    1 you bro 💋💔💋💔💋
    1 One year tomorrow baby…I miss you so much.
    1 It’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about you ‘ I’ll neverrrrr b okay 😔😔😔😔😔😔💔💔
    1 luv you J. ill b sending flowers n balloons later on..
    1 One year today dad
    2 Can’t wait till we meet again. Life hasn’t been the same w/o you
    2 You and auntie njeri continue to watch over us … beautiful angels ♥️ I love your soul dad 4ever
    1 1 yr today since I last seen you. Rest Peacefully Brother luv 4 life..
    1 ♥️♥️♥️
    1 Happy 2nd birthday I’m heaven I love you for life
    1 HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY LIL BROTHER
    1 Love you the most ♥️
    1 I love you the most dad I wish u were here 🥺♥️
    1 I miss you sm dad , I love u for freee . My heart - jadeyyy ♥️
    1 It’s my 22nd birthday & im wishing u was here’ I love you sm 💕 8still can’t believe this
    1 I wish u was here ! It’s nothing I wouldn’t do to see you again . My heart still hurts so much 🥺
    2 3 yrs today go crazy ‘ I love ur soul 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 forever youuuuu
    1 I love you so much i miss you
    1 Happy Bday Dad , I love ur soulll more than you ever got to know 🥹
    1 My heart aches everytime I think about the reality of this . I love u 4ever and a day
    1 - jadeyyyy 🥰😓
    1 Lani and Chelle! My Dawgs RIP KING #NayNaysDad

Other nearby fatal shootings: