By Jeff Whitten and Lewis Levine
Kevin Jermaine Johnson, the victim of a fatal shooting July 3 at an Ellabell convenience store, will be remembered as a dedicated, hard working family man, a husband and the father of four children, his obituary program said.
Johnson, 39, of Ellabell, was pronounced dead at the scene after Bryan County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the Zip ‘N’ Foods on Hwy. 204, said John Durden, special agent-in-charge of the Statesboro Region 5 office of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Two men face felony charges for the shooting, according to Durden.
Wandell Hills, Jr., 36, and Tavarus Brown, 38, were charged in the murder, he said.
An incident report filed last week claims Hills lives on Wade Carter Road.
Around 2:24 p.m. on Wednesday, July deputies responded to the call “in reference to an unresponsive male suffering from multiple gunshot wounds,” Durden said in a statement released Friday. The case is still under investigation, but deputies and GBI agents determined a “verbal dispute began in the parking lot of the gas station which escalated to a physical altercation with a gun being drawn” by Hills. It is unclear what started the argument.
An initial incident report by a Bryan County Sheriff ’s Office shows an off-duty nurse and another person tried to help Johnson by performing CPR until EMS arrived.
Johnson’s funeral is at 11 a.m. Saturday at Boyd’s Temple Holiness Church, Mill Creek Road, Ellabell.
Here is his obituary:
ELLABELL -- Mr. Kevin Jermaine Johnson, 39 passed away on Wednesday, July 3.
He leaves to cherish his memories, his wife Tiana M. Johnson, children, Keyonna and Kevin Johnson; Kemin and Kemora Mutcherson; mother Ms. Sandra G. Johnson, father Arthur (Sandra) Johnson; siblings Ramona Johnson, Tiffany Johnson, Monty McDonald, Travis (Alice) Johnson and Brandy Smith; grandfather James Holiday: five uncles and three aunts to include a special aunt Ferrie Williams; two brothers from another mother Alvin Smith and Marlon King; two special cousins Ken Steel and Avery Johnson; A dear friend Kenyatta Mutcherson; five nieces, three nephews; a host of other relatives and friends.
Public viewing Friday, July 12, 2019 noon-3 p.m.,Smalls Funeral Home Chapel, followed by wake a Greater Outreach Ministries, Wade Carter Road, Ellabell from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Life Celebration Saturday, July 13, 2019 11:00 a.m. at Boyd’s Temple Holiness Church, Mill Creek Road, Ellabell. Interment Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery.
Smalls Funeral Home, Inc., is in charge of arrangements.