CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Sabrina Taylor believes someone knows information about who shot and killed her son, Jahliq.
“I know there’s someone who’s seen something, knows something,” she said.
The 20-year-old Chesapeake native was a local rap artist and frequently performed in various places in Hampton Roads. Jahliq’s mother says he loved to share his talents and spotlight with people, often collaborating with other local artists.
Sabrina says he loved to perform.
“The energy that he brings into the room [...] it was high energy,” said the mother of five. “I don’t understand why someone would want to kill my son.”
On September 12, Jahliq was preparing to perform at the RiffHouse Pub on Bainbridge Blvd. when someone shot him in the parking lot. He died, and two other people were injured in the shooting.
It would have been Jahliq’s second performance that day, after an appearance in Virginia Beach. His mother says he was looking forward to showing his skills in his hometown and she talked to him earlier in the afternoon.
“I knew exactly what my son had planned that evening,” she said. “I knew exactly how he was going to perform.”
According to his mother, Jahliq loved his family and was an honor student at Hampton’s University College last spring. Sabrina believes there were enough people nearby that night for someone to know information that could lead to the arrest of her son’s killer.
“He did not deserve this at all,” she said. “What kind of person are you to take a life?
The Chesapeake Police Department is still investigating the case, but with no new developments, Sabrina is calling on the community to bring justice.
“This pain that I am feeling is unbearable, numb,” she said. “I am speechless. That’s why I am asking people in the community to come forward.”
If you know any information about Jahliq Taylor’s death, you can call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.