Nationwide — Matthew Jackson, an 18-year-old African American teen from Jacksonville, Florida, who worked at Burger King and was known by loved ones as a kind and “good soul” was tragically killed while trying to stop a fight inside the fast-food restaurant. The young worker, stepped in to keep the peace when a confrontation between two men suddenly turned violent, ending his life just months before his high school graduation.
According to Local 12 News and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the incident began when the suspect, 21-year-old Dawud Burritt, walked into the Burger King and immediately got into a heated argument with another man, Ray Cummings. That verbal dispute escalated quickly into a physical altercation. Witnesses told investigators that as tensions rose, Jackson attempted to intervene in hopes of defusing the situation.
Authorities said the moment Jackson stepped forward, Burritt allegedly pulled out a gun. Chaos erupted inside the restaurant as customers and employees fled to safety. Witnesses reported hearing two loud gunshots before seeing the suspect run from the scene. The teen employee was discovered fatally wounded inside the restaurant, while Cummings was rushed to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police launched a massive search for Burritt, who was arrested the following day. He now faces two counts of second-degree murder along with a charge of armed burglary. Detectives are continuing to piece together the exact sequence of events that led to the deadly confrontation.
Loved ones have described Jackson as a hardworking teenager who was always willing to help others. A close family friend who planned to pick him up for Thanksgiving dinner said Jackson was “like another son” and someone who never hesitated to step up when needed. His mother shared that he was a senior at Riverside High School and had already made plans to join the U.S. Marines after graduation.
Investigators also revealed that the surviving victim, Cummings, told officers he and Burritt had experienced a personal dispute about a year earlier, though the details of that conflict are still under review. Police say they are continuing to interview witnesses and collect evidence as they work to determine exactly what led to the tragedy that claimed the life of a young man simply trying to protect others.