A Brooklyn parolee who served time for robbery was killed in a shooting early Tuesday, and was remembered by loved ones as a community-oriented man who made it a priority to take care of his siblings after their mother died.
“He’s like the head of the family,” said the man’s aunt, Michelle Bradshaw. “He stepped into big shoes because his mom was gone. We’re just shocked. We’re blindsided by the whole situation.”
Juavoni St. Victor, 26, was was bike riding with two other people near Crown St. and Rogers Ave. in Crown Heights about 1:55 a.m. when someone in a dark-colored sedan fired off shots at him and drove away, said police.
St. Victor was shot in the head , cops said. Medics rushed him to Kings County Hospital, but he could not be saved.
Police sources said St. Victor — who leaves behind a 5-year-old son — was a member of the 8 Trey Crips gang. But Bradshaw and a close friend denied St. Victor had any such connection.
“Great guy…no gang member,” said the friend, who gave his name as Jorge. “Not into that life, not into violence at all. His son loved him dearly.”
“That’s not who he was,” Jorge added. “He was a very family-oriented guy. He loved everybody. He loved us. There’s nothing that he wouldn’t do for anybody. If he had one dollar to his name he would give it to you.”
St. Victor had a record of multiple arrests that included charges of grand larceny, robbery and assault, said police.
In 2018, St. Victor was convicted on a robbery charge in Brooklyn Criminal Court and sentenced to five years, according to court records. He was released from the Ulster Correctional Facility in upstate New York in October 2021 and was expected to remain on parole until December 2024.
“It wasn’t really substantial, but it just happened that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Bradshaw said of the robbery case. “They didn’t have all the proof. He still did what he had to do. He got out over a year ago.”
It was not immediately clear if St. Victor’s criminal record had anything to do with his murder.
St. Victor grew up in a “loving” home, said Jorge, who called his friend a “family-oriented guy.”
He did it right by people. He was very respectful, respectful to elders. He just knows to lead by example,” said Jorge.
After his mother passed away, St. Victor, who was the oldest of five siblings, stepped up and guided the younger kids in the right direction, his aunt recalled.
“He was looking after them,” said Bradshaw. “Made sure they went to school, did their homework, stuff like that. He made sure his sister got into college. He’s making sure the other one was getting ready to graduate high school.”
The mother of St. Victor’s 5-year-old son was shaken by his death, said Bradshaw. “She doesn’t know what she’s gonna tell her kid. His son just started school,” the aunt said. “He was a good father. He gave his kid the best.”
The grieving aunt told the Daily News St. Victor was working closely with his son’s principal as the school helped the boy overcome a speech impediment.
“He was focused. Determined to make sure his son get the proper education he needed. Willing to do anything for his son and his family. Willing to nurture him to grow up to be a good man in society.”
St. Vincent ran a food pantry out of his home, where he would cook meals for homeless people in his neighborhood
“People know to come here to get food,” Bradshaw said. “Whatever clothes he ain’t wear anymore he just gave to them. He started it with his mother. His mom and his grandma taught him to always give back.”
“He took care of the whole family. He stepped up to the plate,” Bradshaw said. “When he got out of school, he was helping with the family. He started taking care of my mom, taking her back and forth to the doctors.”
Bradshaw said St. Victor’s 76-year-old grandmother is broken hearted over the man’s death. “She’s in shock,” she said. “Taking it real hard you know? They were very close.”
Police are still searching for the shooter who took St. Victor’s life, but his aunt struggled to thing of anyone who may want to hurt her nephew.
“He never said anything about feeling unsafe,” Bradshaw said. “Nobody never showed him no malice, like they were going to come after him.”
