LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Friday, family and friends of La-Quante Jackson celebrated the life of the 22-year old, after they said he was found dead off Parthenia Avenue in the Jacobs neighborhood.
LMPD responded to the initial scene Tuesday, and said the matter is being investigated as a suicide.
At a balloon release Friday morning, Jackson’s loved ones gathered to celebrate his life. A crew also came to clean up the alleyway where his body was found.
"He had a heart of gold and a smile to go with it,” father Larry Jackson said. "You wonder how you get through, only God can help you."
Jackson said his son was a friend to everyone, the kind of man to give you the shirt off his back.
"He showed me how to trust, love, after all, no matter what you've been through, the good and bad, be humble,” he said.
Jackson’s family said when his body was found, they were struck by how unkempt the alley was. Friday, after the balloon release, community members helped clean it up.
"I think people's mentality is that if they look at junk they're celebrated in junk, they act junky,” Pastor Leonard Boyd said.
Boyd’s cleaning crew came to tidy up and to help the neighborhood heal.
"To give it some more life, to clean this alley up and make it more livable,” Boyd said.
Mostly though, they picked up Jackson's burden of grief.
"If we had a nice amount of him around with his heart it could change a whole lot of things,” Jackson said of his son.
There are resources to help if you or someone you know is struggling. You can call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline any time, day or night at 800-273-8255.
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