GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Deidra White still has trouble sleeping days after the shooting death of her son, Jontell.
“Some days I can be okay; some days I’m lying there and I start thinking about him and I just start crying,” she said through tears. “It’s not fair; it’s not fair. We shouldn’t have to worry about it. No mother should have to bury their child.”
Jontell White was shot outside Metro Nightclub on South Division Ave early Saturday morning. White, who just turned 30 years old this past September, was pronounced dead at the scene.
He leaves behind two daughters, ages 11 and 1.
“I wasn’t prepared for this,” said Deidra White. “I don’t think nobody’s prepared for this.”
Deidra doesn’t know who would want to harm her son. She said he was loved by his friends and family, and his larger-than-life personality matched his 6’4” stature.
“He didn’t really have any enemies; he was loved. A lot of people loved him,” she said. “He could walk around freely and not have to worry about looking over his back, at least I thought.”
Deidra is now in the process of fundraising for Jontell’s funeral expenses. She’s started a GoFundMe page that’s nearly reached its goal, and is also hearing from friends of Jontell’s who are sharing positive messages.
“Just about everybody that reached out was like ‘you don’t know me but your son helped me,’” she said. “Everybody that reached out said he helped them in some sort of way, whether it was moving or what.”
Metro nightclub wasn’t open when FOX 17 stopped by on Monday. It’s not the first time the bar has had issues with violence. In 2019, Ruben Robelin was shot and critically injured just feet away from the entrance. His mother, at the time, called for security measures to be reevaluated and strengthened.
Police are looking into the case but haven’t announced any leads or suspects. As they investigate, Deidra White’s message is a simple one to the community.
“Put the guns down,” she said. “Parents shouldn’t be burying their kids. Put the guns down.”
If you have any information on the shooting, call the Grand Rapids Police Department at 616-456-3380 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.
