COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Rashawn Jones was killed in the Parkway Circle Apartments on Jan. 3rd after three suspects forcibly entered him home.
The 26-year-old was taking classes at the Modern Barber and Beauty Institute in Bryan to become a barber. Jones is remembered by several of his friends whom he learned alongside and who spoke with KAGS about the person Rashawn was.
“Literally that first day that I came to school, actually he was the first person to come up and talk to me,” said Quentin Arrants.
“He was very joyful. You always knew if he was here, he would always be the loudest, debating but also making it funny,” said Tavian Bonds.
One of Rashawn’s closest friends was Jessi Burdick. Burdick said that he often referred to her as his “twin” and they, on occasion, spoke on the phone. However, the last time she spoke to him was only minutes before he was shot and killed.
“I actually talked to him 30 minutes before it happened, and I was supposed to do his hair the next day…it was Ramsey who texted me,” said Burdick.
The owner of Modern Barber and Beauty Institute, Ramsey De La Cruz, said that he deeply loved Rashawn and felt that his transition to learning to become a barber changed his life around.
“He had a lot of people coming back to him wanting to talk with him and laugh with him,” said De La Cruz.
Jones would have graduated from Barber school this week, and De La Cruz said that the beauty institute plans to hold a private graduation ceremony to honor his memory.