Two teenage best friends were found with gunshot wounds inside a Syracuse home on Wednesday, June 24. First responders pronounced 16-year-old Damarion Jones dead at the scene and rushed 13-year-old Jonah Tanner to a hospital. Tanner’s family later told local media he had been legally declared brain dead. Neighbors soon gathered for a vigil, and relatives turned to online fundraisers in the hope of burying the boys side by side.
What investigators say
Detectives and Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick say the evidence so far points to a devastating accident inside the home. Investigators believe Damarion accidentally shot Jonah, then apparently turned the gun on himself, Fitzpatrick told WSYR-TV, according to reporting compiled by Shattered - The Gun Accident Journal. The formal review of what happened is still underway, but authorities say the current timeline is consistent with an unintentional shooting involving the two boys.
Families, vigil and fundraisers
In the days after the shooting, relatives launched fundraisers to help cover funeral costs. A GoFundMe organized by Dayvonna Jones to “Help lay Jonah to rest” had raised more than $7,500 toward a $10,000 goal, according to the fundraiser page. On the same page, Damarion’s mother wrote, “Damarion was full of love, always helpful, and a bright teenager who made every day better for those around him,” and family members say the donations are being used to arrange a joint burial.
Neighbors held a vigil later that week, where Jonah’s mother remembered his love of football and fashion, as reported by the Tampa Free Press. The GoFundMe page provides additional details and updates from the organizer.
Why this matters
Unintentional shootings like this fall inside a broader public health crisis. Firearm injuries have become one of the leading causes of death for children and teens in recent years, according to the CDC. While accidental shootings account for a smaller share of youth gun deaths, a detailed national review found that a substantial number of these fatalities happen inside homes, a pattern public health experts say highlights the stakes of safe storage and adult supervision, as outlined in a CDC MMWR report.
For now, authorities have not announced any criminal charges, according to case summaries compiled by Shattered - The Gun Accident Journal. Investigators are continuing to seek information from witnesses, while the Syracuse community grieves two boys that friends and relatives say were truly inseparable.
