Justavian Fann

Justavian Macchaeus Fann was a 19-year-old Black man from Jasper, Texas, whose life was full of promise. He had graduated from Lufkin High School in 2022, where he played as a running back for the Lufkin Panther football team. A hard worker, Justavian was employed at both Lincoln Lumber and Wal-Mart. He was also a member of the New Pilgrim church in Woodville. According to his family, Justavian was a beloved father, son, and brother who most cherished the time he spent with his young son, Kay'Son.

Justavian's life was cut short in the early hours of Sunday, March 12, 2023. He was attending a private party at the Cabbage Patch Club, located in the 400 block of Charlton Road near Lufkin, when gunfire erupted. Deputies from the Angelina County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the scene around 3:30 a.m. in response to the shooting. Upon arrival, they found a large crowd gathered at the nightclub and discovered Justavian deceased.

In the days following the shooting, the sheriff's office investigation led to the arrests of four teenagers believed to be involved. The individuals taken into custody were Jaiquies Lewis, 17, and Zahdyn Brooks, 19, both from Wiergate, Texas; Jaykeevien Collins, 19, from Lufkin; and Omarion Lewis, 17. All four were booked into the Angelina County Jail and initially charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A judge set their bonds at $500,000 each.

Two months later, in May 2023, an Angelina County grand jury handed down indictments for all four suspects in connection with Justavian's death. The cases against them moved forward while they remained in custody.

The most recent court action occurred in August 2024, when an attorney for Jaiquies Lewis requested that his bond be reduced from $500,000 to $50,000. During the hearing, the state argued that Lewis’s previous felony involving a firearm implied a danger to public safety. The judge agreed and denied the request, maintaining the original bond amount. As of August 2024, Jaiquies Lewis, now 19, remains jailed on a murder charge awaiting trial. The cases against Zahdyn Brooks, Jaykeevien Collins, and Omarion Lewis are also pending.