OKC shooting victim identified as son of anti-gun violence advocate

Oklahoma City police have identified the man killed in a shooting over the weekend.

The victim, 24-year-old Javier Morales, was found dead of gunshot wounds in a liquor store parking lot near NW 91st Street and Western Avenue. Morales was associated with a group focused on combating gun violence, LiveFree OKC.

“It just hits home,” said Jabee Williams, a member of LiveFree OKC, a peace advocacy nonprofit that aims to curb gun violence through intervention and outreach.

Related story: 1 dead in shooting in NW OKC

“We were all there. We lost a family member,” Williams said, explaining the group’s mission to engage young people in the community by providing hope and resources. “We don’t want to just take a gun out of a child’s hand, we want to put something else in it.”

According to police, Morales, the son of a LiveFree OKC peacemaker, was involved in an altercation with at least one other person. “It appears multiple people were involved,” said MSgt Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Officers investigating the crime found a vehicle linked to the shooting and led them to a home near SE 23rd Street and Del Road. A standoff ensued, but police were able to negotiate with two people inside the home. Both surrendered without incident.

Police arrested 20-year-old Brooklynn Miller for accessory to murder. Authorities are still searching for the shooter.

Williams said the loss of Morales has only strengthened her commitment to the community. “For him, he’s strong and understands that he has to keep working, and that really energizes him – knowing that his son wanted that from him.”

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300.