Only On 8: Brother of man killed outside Richmond church speaks out, ‘He was a protector’

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The brother of the man killed outside a Richmond church spoke exclusively with 8News about the bond their family had, and what led up to the fatal shooting that took his sibling's life.

Thirty-six-year-old Kwaivon Dejesus died Wednesday, Oct. 29 after being shot outside of Fifth Baptist Church in Richmond. Today his brother, Keronte, said he wants people to know the man his brother truly was.

"He was a protector," Keronte said. "He stood up for a situation that he was protecting against evil."

He said following a funeral, Kwaivon and other close friends attended a repass at Fifth Baptist. Richmond Police said they arrived to the church around 4:30 p.m. to find Kwaivon with an apparent gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital and later died.

Keronte never imagined that not too long after honoring someone else's life, his sibling was about to lose his.

"Definitely not," Keronte said. "During times like that, you're supposed to be focusing on the member that passed. So you wouldn't think anybody would come here thinking about something else."

Police said the shooting came after an altercation between Kwaivon and another man.

"I heard there was an argument, and it led to a physical altercation that ended up not going the right way," Keronte said. "So it was fatal."

Keronte said the loss comes at what otherwise should have been a positive reunion for their family. Over the summer, Kwaivon had returned from an 18.5 year prison sentence.

"I picked him up. Like, his very first day out," Keronte said. "I told him, 'I said, bro I got you, you know I'm coming to get you,' and this was like, one of the best moments ever."

"He came out focused, ready to do things that was right," Keronte said. "Until somebody tried to take that away from him."

Keronte said at a tragic time like this one, he is comforted by his faith.

"I learned, to know that a soul goes away in peace and Allah has the final decree over everything," Keronte said. "I always prayed that my brother had a good sending. And I feel like he's in peace now."

When asked if any developments or arrests had been made in this case, Richmond Police told 8News that they're working on getting an update.