Friends remember shooting victim as ‘a brother to many’
Yujae Gjon Sarwon’s optimism knew no bounds. On the basketball court, he would motivate teammates who missed shots or made questionable plays during games and practice. Off the court, he radiated positivity, often transmitting to those around him the happy energy that guided his life.
People in Sarwon’s life are now searching for positive thoughts and answers after the 28-year-old was fatally shot early Thanksgiving morning in northwest Harris County. Sheriff’s deputies responding to a 4:57 a.m. call found Sarwon dead on the roadway from gunshot wounds in the 13600 block of Wimbledon Oaks Drive, authorities said. The door of his home had been forced open.
By Thursday, the sheriff’s office had not announced any arrests or released a description of any suspects. The forced entry into the house, a spokesperson said, indicated a robbery motive. Investigators were still combing through surveillance video they had obtained. Themedical examiner’s office has ruled his death a homicide.
“Who would waste their time to hurt somebody that doesn’t have any incentives to hurt anybody else?” asked Charles Ware, who became friends with Sarwon as a pre-teen.
In interviews, those who knew Sarwon said he’d made some mistakes, including a few brushes with the law, but remembered him as an empowering and loving friend, son and brother with a wide smile who enjoyed dancing and living life to its fullest.
“Hewas too loving, too genuine, he overdosed on all of that,” said Jamal Khalil, another longtime friend, adding that Sarwon served as “a brother to many people.”
Khalil started a GoFundMe fundraiser over the weekend to cover funeral expenses and to build a well in Africa in honor of his friend. He plans to give part of themoney collected to an organization that will build the well in a place where it is much-needed, likely in Somalia. Sarwon’s rela-
“Who would waste their time to hurt somebody that doesn’t have any incentives to hurt anybody else?” Charles Ware,
Sarwon’s friend
tives were too distraught to comment on the death, said Khalil, who’s been in communication with them and planning the funeral arrangements.
Aaron Nafegar, who met Sarwon more than 15 years ago, recalled playing basketball in their Cypress neighborhood “from the time the sun came up to the time the sun came down” for years. As they got older, they would rent a boat or power skis or travel to Austin. One time they went to Puerto Rico.
“We were just really enjoying life,” said Nafegar, 29.
Beyond words — “He pushed all of his friends to do better,” Nafegar said — Sarwon liked supporting his friends in their ventures. A week before hewas shot, he bought a T-shirt from a friend who had recently launched a clothing line.
And whenWare told Sarwon about plans to start a podcast — mostly filled with casual conversation about celebrities, fashion and people they had grown up with
in Cypress — Sarwon asked to be a guest star who appeared occasionally. Cool idea, Ware recalled.
“I had everything planned out, I had everything I needed, I was just looking for a studio that would be convenient for everyone,” Ware said, noting he now lives in Sugar Land. “Now he’s not even here.”
Moustafa Eissa, who started a basketball league and played on the same team as Sarwon this year, was struck by his new teammate’s zeal and natural leadership.
“If you missed a shot or made a bad play, he was always coming up to you, tapping on your shoulder, ‘Get
the next one,’” Eissa said. “If we were ever down, he wouldbe theone inthehuddle telling us ‘We will be fine.’”
The team won the championship this fall after delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and Sarwon, who also played during his time as a student at Cy-Fair High School, was named defensive player of the year.
The night before the shooting, Nafegar, wholived nearby, stopped by Sarwon’s home to say hello when he sawthe door open. He asked what Sarwon’s plans were for the following day. Sarwon pointed to his foot. He was being electronically monitored and on curfew.
Days before, he had been arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, Oxycodone, according to Harris County court records. Fort Bend County court records show Sarwon also pleaded guilty to a robbery in 2018.
Khalil said his friend had made some poor decisions in his life, but that he didn’t hurt others and “never had hate.”
“He’s made some mistakes,” he said. “We shouldn’t overlook the great person he was.”
During their brief conversation the evening before Thanksgiving, Nafegar committed to delivering Sarwon a plate of food.
“Thank you, and I love you,” Sarwon told him.
Thenext morning about 7 a.m., Nafegar got a text from another friend who lives in the neighborhood. There was a man lying near Sarwon’s home.
“Somebody is out here passed out drunk,” Nafegar remembered the text reading, along with a photo of a body.
Soon after, the friend texted again: The man had been shot.
Then the calls and texts came n a flurry, about 20 or so of them. It was Sarwon who had been shot. Nafegar ran out of his house toward the scene.
He recognized his friend’s shirt. It was the one Sarwon had bought a week prior from a friend.
“I just lost it, man,” Nafegar recounted, “I just lost it.”