JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A family is renewing their pleas for help to find the killer of 18-year-old Rashaud Fields, a young man who was shot just hours after his high school graduation.
The law firm representing the family announced on Tuesday a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of his killer.
The rewards comes after multiple calls for help from the family, including a billboard on Edgewood Avenue West, about a mile from William Raines High School, where Fields was a popular football player.
18-year-old Rashaud Fields was shot and killed on May 23, just hours after graduation. The young man had received a scholarship to continue his football career at Keiser University.
On Tuesday, months after the shooting, his family said they believe now is the time to renew calls for help as students head back to school.
At a press conference, the family’s legal representation, Jacksonville attorney John M. Phillips of the Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt, pleaded with the community to start policing itself.
Fields' mom, dad and multiple family members filled the room, still emotional from the loss of this young life.
“Every day we have to live through this pain and know that he had a bright future with a 4-year scholarship, he was happy to go to college, and someone snatched his life. They literally snatched his life," Janice Fields, his mom, said.
Family spoke with First Coast news days after the murder, describing Fields' as a loving, gentle soul.
"That was my cousin, he was fun, he was aggravating also, but he ain’t never bother nobody he was just playful," Jaden Snodgrass, Fields' cousin, said.
The family says they plan to go to Keiser University in West Palm for the first home game on October 1st, in honor of the future Fields had on that field.
The family is offering a $10,000 reward and Crime Stoppers is additionally offering a $3,000 reward. In total $13,000 is up for grabs for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of this killer.
Anyone with information is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500, Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS or Phillips & Hunt, the family’s civil lawyers, at (904) 444-4444.